Desire for a Spark
by schu-was-here
Summary: Movieverse. After waking Megatron Starscream takes matters in his own claws. The Allspark ends up destoryed.. or does it? *TF1&2 makeover with a few details from G1 and TFA. M for safety and some violence. Plug&Play not included but some weird love is
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination.

A/N: After recieving such wonderful reviews for my 1st story I decided to get a move on with this idea. You guys really geve me a huge push ;3

Hope you enjoy this, and that it's as ok as the 1st.

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**Prologue**

It was gone.

The Allspark. Lost. Launched into the space by the leaders of the Autobots to prevent his fraction from claiming its unlimited powers.

Megatron seethed quietly as he watched the buzzing Cybertonian night from his chamber located high above the walls of his base, restless like all of his Decepticons.

They were not defeated but the humiliation of losing the Allspark was a thorn in his side, making him feel like a fool; tricked by a simple diversion created by their enemies to lure them out far away from the place the Autobots had designated for the Allspark, where they launched the planet's most precious energy source off into space. He had never imagined those fools to be that desperate to prevent him from getting to it. For him it was a disgrace, a treacherous act he himself would never had committed and _they_ dared to call him the master of deceit. That was even more of a dishonor to him when the Fallen had called him a failure and in his spite had given him his newest, quite extreme task of retrieving the missing treasure.

As if the old despot had to point it out to him! Megatron knew how to lead his army, knew exactly what had to be done, but the ancient mech did not care for his opinion as the Fallen had taken the command over and turned out to be a real tyrant.

This was the thanks Megatron got after he had discovered his smoldering skeleton on some desolate planet and brought him back to Cybertron to have him repaired. He wasn't foolish enough to allow him to be fully functional; oh no, he knew the stories of their ancestors and their mysterious powers. He knew that the Fallen, as he demanded to be called, was not to be treated lightly. He had considered many times whether it would not be safer to terminate the old mechanism and be rid of the possibly double-edged sword he came to possess. Not once had he heard the anxious whispers or even direct accusations from his subordinates that the so-called captive of Megatron was too dangerous and should be disposed of. Yet the Fallen's ancient knowledge proved to be too much of a temptation to simply scrap his body. Megatron had believed that he would be able to use the old mech to bring the Decepticons to a new level of power and the Fallen had used that belief against him.

While not yet fully functional, he had turned out to be strong enough to overpower Megatron and force on him a new deal, making the silver leader become his 'disciple'. In return the Fallen would share with him the ancient methods of creating energon and manufacturing new mechs. Megatron's failure to predict or prevent this turn of events filled him with fury but unless he had wanted to keep functioning he had had to agree to the Fallen's terms. The only condition he had managed to negotiate was that no mech was ever to be let in on this secret and that Megatron would continue to act as the mighty leader of his army. The Fallen had only laughed, a cruel mocking snigger, at his new servant's petty demand. It never was of any concern for him who the Decepticons called their Lord as long as it was the Fallen who made the decisions.

From that day onward Megatron had been forced to do his new master's bidding, taking the blame and hate for the ancient mech's megalomaniac designs which very soon proved to be not only rash and focused on his personal vendetta towards the Autobots but causing the Decepticon army more loss than gain. The colonies built to breed new mechanisms were indeed a marvelous innovation but the price they had to pay for it was extremely high. Megatron became known as a despotic tyrant, murderer of all who opposed him, civilian or warrior alike; a thief of the precious and scarce energon feared by every city's leaders. The Autobots had thought this transformation was the result of the silver mech's overgrown ego or even madness and soon had begun to defend, but also very often initiate attacks, with more fervor and desperation than before. The war had taken a violent turn in which thousands of warriors on both sides perished, their numbers diminished to mere hundreds, struggling to maintain their forces intact. Each new wave of bred Decepticons was sent off into the battlefields only to meet slaughter as less and less energon was left to provide them with sufficient nourishment to develop correctly. The new methods of gathering the resources quickly drained the planet causing famine among the mechs and the despair soon reached the Fallen's warped mind as he came to realize the mistakes in his strategy. Naturally he had not let it show when he had called Megatron to instruct him to prepare an assault on another Autobot city and had made it painfully clear that he was fully in control of the situation when his silver 'apprentice' tried to dissuade him from his plot.

The Fallen had ordered Megatron to bring him the Allspark, the sacred entity of their race, to restore his full power so that he could end the struggle once and for all, decimating every, and each Autobot still functioning. As attractive as the end of the war in the favor of the Decepticons sounded, he feared that the Fallen's rage would not stop with his enemies' death. He did not want to be the cause of his people and the rest of the by standing populace's demise from the ancient mech's wrath but he had never expected the Autobots to learn of the plans and settle, or so they thought, the matter by putting the Allspark out of Megatron's reach.

The danger was averted for the time being, but he could not shake the awful feeling of defeat, of being unable to protect his people with his own power. The Autobots could rejoice for a while, but he knew in his spark that the Fallen would never relinquish his mad quest for vengeance. And his anger was first directed not at his enemies, but at him.

He had hidden the dents and tears in his battered armor well on his way from the Fallen's chamber to his own, darkness of the night aiding him in his shameful retreat. He had called a medic mech and threatened to dismantle him and his femme companion if a word of his state got out to the public. The obedient con did not disappoint him; he left with a fearful bow having patched his leader up as best as he could in the short time he was given.

Now, when he looked no worse than after a sparring match the cons sometimes held to entertain themselves, he called Starscream to his chamber to give him a briefing on the new plan. The seeker, as always, was very eager to point out all the faults Megatron himself had noticed, but hearing his second in command's disbelieving voice as he questioned his leader's sanity had hurt him more than he had expected. He was very tired of the whole masquerade he had to put up with because of the Fallen, of being accused of the other mech's blunders and Starscream was not making it any better.

So he relieved himself and proved to himself he still had some power left over his subordinate; made sure he was still feared and able to make his screeching Air Commander whimper and cower before him. He ordered the plans to be taken into action the following morning, leaving an energon-seeping, wing-fractured Starscream alone in his chamber as he proceeded towards the launch pad section of the base.

He heard muffled curses and metal scraping on the floor as Starscream was trying to get back up. He didn't slow down; seeing his second in command for a second longer would break his resolve to follow the Fallen's orders because everything Starscream had said was right: chasing after the Allspark throughout the universe was like chasing a ghost – it could be anywhere. And he himself, the mighty leader of the Decepticon army was going to do it personally; something was very wrong with that in Starscream's opinion. The flier had called him a senile fool, and of course didn't omit the chance to point out how he would have devised a better course of action if he were the leader, and Megatron really wondered if this time Starscream hadn't been right about that.

But it was not his decision to make – the Fallen had demanded Megatron announce him as the leader for the time of his absence. Starscream had not understood, naturally, why he wasn't appointed, but he could never know the truth behind this charade. And he had not understood why Megatron hadn't included him in the pursuit team; as he predicted the Seeker took personal offense assuming his leader didn't trust him with such a mission.

Megatron shook his head as he passed a series of corridors, the launching pad minutes away. The truth was, and admitting it to himself yet again was a strain to his circuits, that he did trust his second in command. Trust to keep the army together at least. As emotional and easy to aggravate he found Starscream, the Seeker had demonstrated countless times how competent and mature he was on the battlefield. After all Megatron would never had appointed him the Air Commander if there was no talent behind his overconfident attitude and he would never had made him his second if he did not believe in his ability to manage the mechs efficiently. This was exactly why he was leaving Starscream behind; the Fallen cared not for his troops but the Seeker did. He was tough and his hate for the old mech was enough to stand between his soldiers and the evil being and to keep him from wasting their resources on another fool's errand.

To waste more resources than Megatron had already allowed to waste.

He braced himself; it was no time for self-pity. The tasks have been assigned: Starscream was now in the most difficult position and it was up to Megatron to end this farce as fast as possible. He didn't know what he would do after retrieving the Allspark yet but the Fallen could not get a hold of it; he would have to come up with a plan to get rid of the menacing ancient before his Decepticon empire fell.

Megatron ordered his flagship to be prepared for a long journey and called the Decepticons he had chosen to accompany him. He organized a brief meeting and not before the sun rose over his base, he bid Cybertron a silent farewell as his vessel prepared to launch

He did not see Starscream among the officers who came to pay him respects; he wasn't surprised – if the fool had crawled behind him after what he had done to the Seeker, Megatron would only mock his sentimentality and ordered him away from his sight and into the repair bay. What did stun him was how heavy he felt leaving him, them all, at the mercy of the Fallen. Was this the right choice?

But as the ship took off he reminded himself that his time for choices was long gone – ha had made one when he had found the Fallen. Now he was paying the price for it and he would rather die than admit he had made a mistake.

It would take millennia for him to realize how wrong he had been…

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	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination.

A/N: Kinda eager here, will try to write and post asap, i feel motivated for once^^ Enjoy

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**Chapter I**

It was early afternoon. The sun shone brightly in the sky, illuminating the still waters of the Colorado River as it came to a silent halt at the Hoover Dam.

Larry Andrews was enjoying his lunch break in peace (his wife had prepared a ham and lettuce sandwich and a banana for him), glad that the only sound around was the humming of the generators instead of the gaggle he normally had to deal with upstairs in the canteen. He had always liked his shifts in the monitoring room; they suited his quiet and reserved nature best. He really disliked being around many people and the refuge of the still metal panels and soft bleeps and hums of the machines relaxed him.

Speaking of many people, Larry had noticed on one of the screens that a few army vehicles had parked above on the dam. There seemed to be a couple of civilians and someone who looked like a politician. Larry shrugged inwardly; he was far away from their business and he was glad for it. He didn't want to get involved in any military or political affairs any more than he was already forced to.

When they told him about that… thing they kept hidden here, only after having signed the contract, naturally, he could not back out but instead had made a resolve to keep his nose out of any alien business. N.B.E.-01 or "The Ice-Man", as the more geeky members of the staff liked to call the giant, was nothing to him but a thing better left unmentioned and he had stuck to it for almost 4 years since he had started to work at the dam. He had decided that it was quite irrelevant that the alien was there; really he was nothing more than a statue, which only needed a bit of cooling. It was no big deal, not like suddenly an army of other space creatures would breach the walls to recover their captive companion.

When he felt the light tremor and saw the bulbs flashing on most of the panels he was close to choking on the banana. When he saw a huge robot wrecking havoc on top of the power plant on one of the screens he spat the remains of the fruit out and rushed to inform his superiors of the situation.

_Larry, you knucklehead,_ he scolded himself, _you jinxed it!_

--

High above Larry's safe dwelling the "robot" was done destroying the plant and proceeded to shoot at the brave men who dared to aim at his glistening armor. Starscream hissed furiously, sending missiles at the tank emerging from its garage, which completely blocked the way for any other vehicles when the rockets hit the target. _This_ was the race that had managed to keep the mighty Megatron bound like some lifeless doll? The Seeker fumed for himself and for all his subordinates who had come to this wretched planet to rescue their failure of a leader and finish what he had not managed to do – retrieve the Allspark.

It was infuriating, it was demeaning; and to think Starscream was forced to stay under the command of a mech who had let this puny, fragile, _disgusting_ race not only capture him but also degrade him along with Cybertron's treasure into a source of their pathetic and primitive technology! If he hadn't been so ashamed and angry, he would have laughed at Megatron's sad fate, which fit him so well after all the hardship and humiliation he had caused his people.

If it was up to Starscream he would leave his sorry scrap of a body to stay frozen forever but the Allspark was here too. He could not feel it but Frenzy was inside and had confirmed its presence and even experience it's power. The blasted humans had seized it and had their Autobot pet with them though, which could prove to be a problem. He was still on his own without any backup, not counting the little mech terrorizing the workers inside the dam. Confronting the yellow 'car', as it was called, could result in his incapacity to carry out his main task and if he failed to do it, this whole trip would end up pointless.

He would not risk it; when his team was close enough, they would strike together, but now he had something else to deal with. _Someone_ he hadn't seen in thousands of years.

--

Moving his frozen joints and cables felt incredibly good. Swinging his enormous morgenstern and seeing the contraption that had caged him break so easily under his blows was delightful and the screams of his hateful oppressors were like the sweetest music to him. But he could not stay to enjoy the revenge on the little humans. He remembered, even after the long sleep he was forced into, that his only goal was the Allspark. He transformed, enjoying the feel of each metal part sliding into the right place, forming a long-forgotten shape of a Cybertronian jet then thrusted himself into a corridor, out of his wretched prison and into the bright sky. All his programs booted back up as he left the dam's interior; he could sense the Allspark again, but it's location seemed to be changing. Then he saw the speeding shape of a mech he did actually expect to see. After all, who could have lead the rescue mission if not his second in command? Megatron didn't fool himself that Starscream had come for his sake though. It was a way of showing him what a mistake it had been to leave him behind, the silver mech was sure of it. He could imagine the Seeker's mocking screech, telling him this situation would never had occurred if he had been at Megatron's side quite vividly. He almost smiled, the nostalgia of their usual banter warming his frozen spark but he would not give into the sentiment.

He knew a smug Starscream was the worst to deal with and he would no doubt use the situation to scorn Megatron for his… setback on his mission, so he had to be the one to strike first.

As his Seeker circled around him, he was pleased to hear his voice, confirming his allegiance and obedience, even if Megatron knew well that it was just his usual facade. Whenever Starscream wasn't sure of his place, he would resolve to flattery, but this time Megatron wasn't content with the Seeker's lack of control of the situation.

"Where is the Cube?" bellowed Megatron, making sure that he sounded angry. He was angry, of course, at the humans and at the fate that had brought him here but not at Starscream in particular. It was, however, quite irritating that the Allspark hasn't been brought before him yet; what have Starscream and his team been doing all this time?

He noticed, with not little satisfaction, how his second in command cringed slightly at his inquiry. He still had it, Megatron thought; millennia of sleep have not cooled down his temper and obviously have not lessened his charisma.

"The humans have taken it."

It took Starscream a moment to summon his self-assured tone, mused Megatron, challenging him in the most obvious and familiar to both mech's way. The power game was still on it seemed and Megatron was pleased to notice his Seeker, in spite of the long time they were apart, was unrelenting in his quest to demonstrate his superiority. The silver mech would of course do everything to prove him wrong – the only response Megatron would ever give to his young subordinate. And, naturally, he would not miss the chance to humiliate the little proud flier either.

"You fail me yet again, Starscream." Oh, it was good to say that, thought Megatron, growling. He remembered how he would address his second in command in such way back on Cybertron, making the Seeker fume and grind his claws, as his Lord put him in place. It seemed those words still had an effect on Starscream, for he, like all those hundreds of years ago, seethed with fury but when he was about to snap back at Megatron, the silver mech cut him short. It was nice to reminisce their enthralling exchanges but this was still war – they had a mission to fulfill and he would not fail again. With a sharp glance at his Seeker, he barked: "Get them!"

--

It was hard to control himself. Rage boiled in Starscream as his _illustrious_ leader threw the insult at him and he had to stop himself, for his own good, before he shot at the pompous mech. He clenched his claws and tried to calm down; he had an objective and he was prepared for this old routine, he just had to remind himself of that.

"I thought I told you to get them!" roared Megatron, his patience as thin as always. He was still standing below him, but from his rigid pose Starscream knew he was ready to launch himself at him if he did not carry out the order.

"Starscream to Brawl. Pursue the yellow Autobot. He carries the Allspark," he rasped, activating his comm. link. He glanced at his leader then added: "Retrieve it at any cost and bring back to the designated location. Starscream out."

Megatron gave a sharp nod and transformed back into his jet form then blasted off towards the weak signal of the Allspark. Not two seconds passed when had to swerve to avoid Starscream as the Seeker caught up to him and cut right in front of him, blocking the path. Megatron dropped down to the rocky ground, grinding his fists at his subordinate.

"What is the meaning of this, Starscream? I ordered you to pursue the Allspark!"

The Seeker was careful to land far from his angry leader, away from the reach of his terrible claws as he was gathering his courage to confront the tyrant.

"Forgive me, Master, but there's something you must know before we move out." He couldn't stop his arms from coming together in a subservient motion, the old habits not having died still. He watched Megatron warily, as the silver mech closed the distance between them, anger flashing in his eyes. He stepped back, his determination quickly fading and the old fear resurfacing in his spark. He still remembered the last moments before Megatron left for his mission; his wings still bore the marks the older Decepticon had left on him, as Starscream kept them unattended to as symbols of his hate towards his torturer. He was the only mech among the functioning who knew how sharp those claws were and how it felt to have your metal crushed under the heavy fists. Others may have been calling Starscream a coward, but they did not know what it was to be in his place, at the mercy of Megatron's nonexistent pity.

"What is it, Starscream?" The flier cringed at the falsely sweet tone as Megatron's claws came dangerously close to his neck. He could not brace himself against the looming frame of his leader; there was no way out of this without risking his well-being.

"Master," he began, forcing his voice to sound firm, so unlike his wavering resolve at that moment. "I know the mission was to bring the Cube back to the Fallen but…" he stopped, checking for any hostile reactions. Megatron wasn't strangling him yet and seemed to listen so he felt he could continue. He only prayed that it would not change. "But we can't."

Megatron wasn't surprised at all. In fact he was expecting some sort of secret plan Starscream might have prepared to ruin his, or the Fallen's previous designs. For once however he was glad for the Seeker's treacherous nature as it seemed they both had came to the same conclusion – the Allspark was far too precious to let the old tyrant use it for his own murderous plots.

He loomed over the _almost_ invisibly trembling Seeker, looking for any sign of deception towards him, aside from the usual kind, and incidentally enjoying the sight he was depraved of for so long. His claws came to rest at his chest plating, ready to grab a hold of his neck, or so he wanted Starscream to think.

"And why is that, Starscream? Why do you suppose would I abandon the mission that had put me through such a strenuous and quite humiliating endeavor? Why would I not pursue what is the key to not only winning the war but to rebuilding what we have lost in it?"

Starscream looked him straight in the eye, some sort of newly awoken strength burning in his gaze. It was not hate or anger; it was desperation. It took Megatron aback; even in the most difficult moments out in the battlefield his second in command had always kept his cool, pride and confidence making his optics gleam. But this look, the look of a being backed into a corner was not something Starscream had ever displayed.

"You don't know anything!" screeched the Seeker, shaking off his master's grip, his tone full of reproach. Megatron growled at that, his claws itching to squeeze the fragile neck. "There is no war, Megatron! It's all over!"

"What…!?" Megatron shook angrily, the revelation too farfetched even coming from the treacherous con. "Explain, Starscream. And if you try to lie to me…"

"It would probably satisfy you that I no longer have the desire nor strength to deceive you, if the conditions were different, but as they are not you should regret that I am not lying," he spat, his whole frame rigid. "What you may remember of Cybertron is now just a sad, distant memory. The Fallen, whom _you_'ve left in charge of the whole army, had made sure of that."

"To the point, Starscream! Tell me what happened!"

"Pit happened," the Seeker's voice and pose seemed suddenly resigned, like a man waiting for his execution. "He became impatient; you were taking far too long to report about your progress and he went on rampage. Nobody thought he was able to do as much but one day he just stood up and drained the whole colony dry, claiming it was no longer efficient to waste energon on new mechanisms. He killed a few of our soldiers who tried to dissuade him. I got almost thorn in half but managed to free myself from his grip." He felt no shame in saving his life, even if Megatron thought it was cowardly of him to flee, he had no right to judge him anymore – he had released the menace on them. He was the one responsible for those deaths.

Megatron listened to the story with a growing feeling of dread – he had hoped this would not come to be, but alas, he had hoped in vain. "Then?" was all he managed to croak.

"Then," the smug Starscream was back, making sure Megatron not only learned of the gruesome facts but felt as sorry for his irreparable mistake. "The Fallen had killed the Autobot leaders, one by one, leaving none of those fools functional. Of course some had managed to get off the planet before he had rendered it dry and abandoned it, naming it no longer useful to the Decepticon cause."

To that Megatron's claws released his second in command, freezing in midair. "Impossible!" he hissed, shaking his head.

"It's your idiocy that's impossible to comprehend, Megatron," braved the angry flier. Megatron regarded him with contempt but did not lash out – he was too appalled by the horrible news. "It's your stupidity that had left us with a destroyed planet to return to and little than a few dozen of our brethren left! We couldn't oppose the Fallen, he is too powerful, even in his incomplete state, as he claims it to be." Anger still burning in his eyes, he clenched his clawed fists, but did nothing more to show his real desire – to blast Megatron into oblivion. He continued, his voice louder and still hoarse, making the silver mech focus his chaotic thoughts on him; for all it was worth, it was hard to ignore him when the Seeker spoke. "What was left of the Decepticons was scattered across the universe in search for the Allspark. My team was with the Fallen, chasing in the direction of your last report from millennia ago. We found this planet and when your presence was confirmed he ordered us to retrieve the Cube. He spoke not of you…" Megatron saw an unmistakable twitch in his subordinate's face plates, what he recognized as a sign of mean satisfaction, which he had the displeasure of seeing quite often in the past, but for now he ignored it. "…Claiming you must have perished but none of the Decepticons would have it. In secret we decided to search for you." A pause, a small intake of air. Starscream seemed tired of the story already, somehow forcing his following words to sound aggressive. "Of course if it were up to _me_, I would not bother to move one rock on this pathetic planet to find you but your followers still believe in you, even after all the grief you have caused us."

Bitterness had found its embodiment. Megatron was quite moved to see his arrogant Seeker in this defeated state, barely clinging to his pride and what strength was left in him. He knew Starscream was not exaggerating when he said it was his fault; the leader of the Decepticons wasn't afraid to take the responsibility for his own actions, even if they were unfortunate, but he would not take any bashing while drowning himself in regret and shame. There was still something he could do for his faithful soldiers, something that would rid the Decepticons of the menace he had brought upon them. And he would not fail again.

"As usual, you let your emotions take the best of you, Starscream." Only a sliver of sanity had stopped the flier from launching himself at his leader, who yet again was too thick to comprehend the situation. Megatron noticed this. "If you wanted me to cringe and admit to having made a mistake then I think we have been apart for far too long. I still can set things right." Starscream was about to cut in but the silver mech silenced him with a pointed claw. "For once I do admit, that you are right. We cannot let the Fallen get the Cube. We have to retrieve it from the humans and use it to bring the Fallen down. With it's powers-"

"No!" screeched the flier, his arms outstretched, the look of despair back on his features. "We must destroy it! It cannot exist or the Fallen will never give up his chase!"

"Starscream, don't be a fool! It's the most powerful entity known to us, we cannot waste it's potential." The Decepticon leader was outraged at his second in command's idiotic idea. It was as mad as the Autobots launching it into space in the first place. "Think of all the things the Decepticons could accomplish with it! We would go back to Cybertron and bring it back to its former glory, with no Autobots to hinder us anymore." He put his clawed hand on the Seeker's arm but he shook it off, seething.

"I know you and how your deal with objects with 'potential', Megatron, but this has been going for far too long. What do you think was the cause of everything that got us into this situation!?" He now openly shouted at his leader, millennia of frustration finally finding a way out of his system, fear of pain forgotten in his hot fury. "You thought you could use the Fallen, but look how it turned out! Your greed destroyed us! I won't let you do it again! I won't let you get the All-"

He was silenced by a devilishly strong punch to his face, which sent him flying a good distance away. "I will not have you talk to me like that! I am your leader, you do as I say!" Starscream didn't move when Megatron approached his fallen frame. Brutally, he pulled the flier up by his wing, making sure his claws did puncture the delicate surface. "This is not the time for you to betray me yet again, Starscream. You will do all you can to retrieve the Cube, intact, and bring it to me, understood?" He gripped the sore wing for good measure, making Starscream wince in pain, and then released him with a shove.

"As… you command, oh mighty leader," Starscream bowed his head, malice thick in his voice. Megatron did not regard him with approval, but this was all he could get from the Seeker for now. They were in a hurry; losing precious time, while the Autobots could have already regrouped and put the Cube out of his immediate reach again. He was ready to confront them and make them regret ever coming between him and his prize. And he would be glad to take the life of any and all humans that would get caught in the fray.

The two transformed and launched into air. Starscream was sent ahead, being the faster of the two, to provide backup for Bonecrusher and Barricade who were closing on the Autobots by now.

As he was cutting the air with ease and speed unrivaled by any vehicle created by man, his mind was focused not on the task at hand but going through the plans he had prepared. He was not a fool, especially when it came to Megatron, and did not delude himself about succeeding on his attempt. He had a backup plan, of course, but … was he really willing to carry it out?

His attention was drawn back to reality when he heard Bonecrusher announcing having spotted the enemy through the comm. link. They were not far ahead. Starscream lowered his altitude and prepared his missiles for launch.

As he was leaving the safety of the clouds the small speaker burst into a metallic cry of agony and went dead in an instant. Bonecrusher was dead.

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	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination.

A/N: Thanks for the 1st comments, they're really making me wanna write more :3 and makin me blush too! :X Also edited previous chaps a bit, sheesh, i'm such a noob at posting stuff ._.

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**Chapter II**

"That useless piece of scrap!" bellowed Starscream, soaring down, his body gliding right above the highway. He could see the mess his subordinate and Prime had made fighting on the flyover far ahead already, Barricade racing in front of him to join the fight.

"You better not get your aft served to you like Bonecrusher did," warned the Air Commander through the comm. link. The mustang's engines roared, flashing his beacon lights impatiently.

"Don't waste your precious energon, ex-leader! I'll rip that pathetic excuse of a truck into shreds!" he declared brashly, transforming into his bipedal form. He ignored Starscream's angry threats for disrespecting him; he had to focus on his prey. If he were to destroy Optimus Prime the glory and honors he'd receive from Megatron would be immeasurable. Not to mention he'd have something to rub into Starscream's cocky faceplates.

He located the red and blue transformer soon after he arrived at the maze of roads and wasted no time to pounce on him like a predator on his prey. Prime seemed to be distracted making sure Bonecrusher was dead, that he didn't sense the deadly Decepticon until he was rammed into a pillar. The concrete column cracked slightly as Prime pulled himself up and pushed away before a massive spiked club hit the spot where he was lying just moments ago. He dodged another vicious swing and activated his blades. Barricade taunted the Autobot in Cybertronian – he really despised the human language, and advanced on his much bigger enemy.

Starscream cursed his underling's bravado; there was no way he could get a target on Prime while they were among the roads and he did not feel like burying both mechs alive under the rubble if he had to chose.

"Barricade, bring Prime out in the open! I cannot target him down there!"

"Stuff your exhaust pipes, Screamer! This is my fight. I won't let you ruin it for m- GRAH!" Prime shoved his blades dangerously close to the talking Decepticon's spark and, holding him in place, kicked his head, sending him tumbling into another column, ripping his chest plates in the process. He did not give his opponent any time to recover; he activated his cannon and pointed it at his chest.

He was about to shoot when an explosion above sent the concrete and human cars crashing down onto them. The initial blast was followed by a few more, Starscream making sure that his missiles would finish the job if it the impact of the heavy rubble wasn't enough.

The Seeker didn't feel sorry; Barricade had been stubborn. Besides desperate times called for desperate actions and he was running out of time to complete his mission. The fool should've known better than to play hide and seek in such a place, making it impossible for Starscream to assist him. _He was a two-faced rebel anyway_, he thought. _I should've blasted him years ago._

He circled around the debris checking for any movement, and when he was satisfied by his work he blasted away after the rest of the Autobots, not denying himself the chance to boast at his triumph through the comm. link.

But if he were thorough about his task and flew down to inspect the fallen rubble closely, he would have found out that Prime's spark hasn't been extinguished. The truck transformer pulled himself up, exhausted but intact. He looked around him, his spark contorting at the sight of human bodies scattered and buried around the remains of the highway. He had no time to lose now but he swore that he would make up to the humankind for bringing his war upon them. With a last glance around he transformed and sped down in the direction of his fellow Autobot's signal.

He too, however, failed to notice the twitch of a clawed hand, protruding from the pile of rubble. Barricade's systems were up and running, although most malfunctioning. He sent a distress signal; it was weak but he hoped that at least one of his allies would pick it up and come for him. He'd laugh at that thought if he could; a Decepticon rarely gave a damn about his fallen and mostly destroyed companion but he had to try. He wanted to live to make sure Starscream paid for this treachery.

He never really liked the jet Decepticon but had tolerated him 'for the greater good'. They had, after all, mutual enemies in the form of the hated Autobots and the mad ancient mech, whose rule had brought them into ruin. He was never the stable one among his peers but he knew when to keep his raging blood thirst in check; he had nothing to gain by opposing his makeshift leader but now that Megatron had been revived the situation was quite different. Right now he only wanted to get the chance to see the sneering Seeker brought to his knees, hear him pleading for mercy, like in the good old times when Megatron was the ruthless and unquestioned Lord of the Decepticons. If only he could get out of here alive, he would do all in his might to help the silver mech deal with the treacherous flier once and for all.

His wish came partly true as he heard the characteristic whirr of a helicopter propeller and then a loud thud near where he was buried. None other than Blackout had come to his aid and roughly, but securely, pulled his battered body up. Barricade didn't need to say who had put him in such a state; Blackout knew how Starscream worked and how easy it was for him to sacrifice his own when he felt such a need. The chopper only wished he knew what had made Starscream so impatient, but he was sure of one thing: it was nothing virtuous.

"Pull back to the designated location, Barricade. Brawl and myself will assist Megatron and I'll be sure to inform our leader of Starscream's perfidious deed," he said turning away from his already transforming comrade.

"You do that… but make sure he doesn't punish that piece of scrap on the spot. I want to see him do it." With that the police mustang roared, or rather screeched with his engine as he burned his rubbers and sped off, as fast as his broken body let him, in the opposite direction of the pursuit.

Blackout transformed in mid-jump and rose above the highway, blowing the gathered crowd of people away with his rotating blades. _Disgusting_, he thought and ignoring the desperate cries of the humans, knocked some of them down with his tilted nose as he hastened to rejoin his leader.

--

"It's Starscream!!" shouted Ironhide, recognizing the distinct energy signal coming from the supposedly friendly aircraft. He didn't think the vehicle he and Bumblebee used as a makeshift shield was strong enough to protect them but he had to act fast. As he guessed, the flier's missiles shattered it mercilessly, sending them both, as well as the humans they were protecting, flying in all directions. For a moment he only heard the deafening drone of Starscream's engines as he flew over them with his usual, too-fast-to-be-allowed speed. He hoped the Decepticon was cowardly enough not to come back and finish the job, and as Ironhide remembered from the many battles they waged on Cybertron, he was not in the wrong about his adversary. His comrades and the humans hastily picked themselves up, all but one. Bumblebee's legs were cut off by a fallen piece of concrete; he could not get up. Ironhide cursed under his breath; Starscream's antics were getting to him as always, and as always giving his team hardship. _Just let him try his strafing again_, Ironhide fumed, as he helped the smaller Autobot to sit up, pushing the human boy aside, gently. _My cannons will be ready for him next time._

"Pathetic!!" roared Starscream, swerving to resume his attack. He couldn't help to wonder what had made the humans and Autobots chose this place to hide. Skyscrapers or not, they were like sitting ducks as far as the flier was concerned and now they were endangering more of their species. But _he_ would surely not mind if his rounds hit the fleeing insects along with his primary targets.

"Be careful where you shoot, Starscream!" scolded Megatron. "The Allspark must not be damaged!" The Seeker snorted arrogantly. He needed no reminders; not like he was going to act according to Megatron's little scheme anyway. He would play along, until the time was right; perhaps his previous attempts to overthrow, or at least to prove Megatron wrong, failed, but this time he knew he had to succeed no matter what and he would give his all to make sure he did.

"Fear not, glorious leader. I have everything under control," he answered smugly, speeding out of Autobot's sight.

"Find out who is in possession of the Allspark and do not attack him. I'll handle him. You are to wipe out everyone else and leave no wounded alive!" With that the communication was cut as Megatron landed on the streets, startling the soldiers and Autobots alike.

The battle ensued, soon joined by Brawl and Blackout. Starscream circled in the sky, patiently waiting for the right opportunity. He'd done a bit of work, bringing the boy's protectors, Ironhide and Ratched, down in his onslaught. The sorry excuse for a weapon master didn't even know what hit him.

But he had another reason to stay away from the fight: earlier, to his disbelief and fury, Optimus Prime had joined the fray, which earned him an earful of Cybertronian curses from his leader, as he scorned the flier for his failure. Instinctively, Starscream wanted to fix his error but decided against it –Megatron was busy fighting the Autobot leader and that could only help him carry out his plan.

Suddenly he dived, having located the boy, whom the naïve Autobots have trusted with the safety of the Cube. This was going to be easier than he had thought. The human ran inside a building but was shortly followed by Megatron; Starscream noted grimly that he must have managed to defeat or at least injure Prime. He perched on the roof of a neighboring building, it was no use following the boy inside; it was obvious there was only one way out: the roof and Starscream would make sure it was a dead end.

His receptors picked up the sound of enemy vehicles approaching. The choppers were circling around the area; they must've arrived to carry the boy or the Allspark out of the city, the flier guessed. Confirming Starscream's theory, the boy emerged from within the building and lit up a flare. The choppers closed in. _Oh no you don't_, thought the Seeker and launched a lazy missile at the rescue helicopter. It fell in flames right as Megatron burst out through the glass roof and cornered the boy.

This was a dangerous situation, Starscream analyzed, as he edged closer to the scene. If only he could intercept the Cube now, it would be all over. Megatron was busy with his pompous speech, as usual in moments like this; the flier should act now.

But he was too late in making his decision. Megatron smashed the edge of the roof, sending the boy down into his demise. Starscream was about to leap after him when he noticed that Prime had caught the boy and was sliding down the walls of the skyscrapers. Fuming, Starscream launched himself into the air to find a position to attack, but Megatron had a different task for him.

"Jets incoming," he barked, pointing at the eight small dots on the horizon. Starscream knew about them, of course, but he wanted to be close to the Cube. Now, however, he had to abandon his position as not to raise Megatron's suspicion. "Deal with them!"

"At once, leader," and with that he was off, blasting high into the clouds. Concealed, he sped off to meet the human F-22s but he did not attack them when he passed them. Instead he turned sharply, positioning himself behind the enemies, sneaking from behind being his favorite tactic. He followed them inconspicuously, copying their pattern of flight. They were closing in on Blackout, Starscream noticed. He considered for a moment if he should give Megatron's hound a head up but decided not to. If the annoying con, who just happened to always oppose him, perished in this battle, there was nothing he could be blamed for. After all this was war, casualties could not be avoided.

So he did nothing, when the raptors launched their missiles and the helicopter-shaped Decepticon was struck and fell over, human cannons and riffles showering his frame with shells. The jets pulled up and swerved but they did not renew their assault. It seemed the initial bombing finished Blackout. Starscream noted that the human weapons may have not been as useless as he had first thought, he would have to analyze them after the fight… if all went according to his plan, that is.

"I'm sorry Megatron, Blackout has perished, I was unable to neutralize the air forces in time," the flier informed his leader, trying to mask the glee in his voice.

"Bla-Blackout, reporting," croaked the fallen mech, and Starscream felt energon freeze inside him. The humans _were_ useless after all, he decided. "I have sustained extensive damage. I'm sorry Lord Megatron, I have failed you," he rasped. "Beware of the jets' missiles, they are more powerful that the weapons present on the ground."

"Good job, Blackout," sent Starscream, trying to cover his anger and his plot. "I will ensure Megatron does not get his back blown by these annoying insects. Starscream out."

"I'm sure you will," muttered Blackout, off the link. He would rather have his arms chopped off than to leave his leader's safety in the claws of the despicable flier. He had to get up and aid Megatron, but first he needed to wait for the humans to advance further; if he were to be useful, he would have to move unnoticed.

--

Angered by another mishap, Starscream tore through the jets, sending one after another crashing down in flames. Things were getting out of control, he needed to get back down and get to the Cube before Megatron overpowered Prime and took it. There was no denying it; Prime had no chance if he continued distracting himself by protecting the human child and soon enough he would get his spark pierced. Unless…

It was decided; he would have to resort to his final option. Taking the form of the jet, he concealed himself among the buildings, leaving three of the human planes free to attack his leader. If Megatron had listened to him, he would not be forced to do this, but it was too late now. He dove, positioning himself behind the raptors and launched his missiles at his silver, soon-to-be-destroyed leader. The impact from his and the human jets' shots had sent Megatron spinning to the ground and Starscream saw his chance. Shifting into his robot form he glided towards where Prime, the boy and Megatron were battling for the Cube, his arms outstretched, ready to grab the precious artifact.

"Traitor!!" bellowed Blackout, who caught up to his leader and saw Starscream's concealed attack. Megatron turned to catch a glimpse of his flier's desperate form, as he advanced on the boy.

"No!!" howled Megatron. Starscream had betrayed him, again. The lunatic would get the Cube and destroy it. The silver mech strained to get to the boy, but the Seeker was faster, almost having reached his prey. Then a sudden explosion clouded his vision and a screech so terrible and piercing echoed in the cluster of buildings, joined by a desperate scream of the human and, suddenly, all was quiet.

Blackout lowered the cannon he had just used to stop the treacherous flier and adjusted his vision. Starscream was lying there, unconscious or hopefully dead, but there was no sign of the Allspark. He couldn't feel it either.

"Master, it's gone! The Allspark-!"

The cloud of dust dispersed and the sight of the Seeker's ruined chest revealed the fate of the precious item.

"Starscream, you fool!" snapped Megatron, transforming and blasting off. "Decepticons, retreat!"

--


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination... And the awesome Megatron Origin comic; god it's so awesome *____* (highly inspired after reading it)

A/N: Thanks for more comments^o^ About this chapter, i dunno if i'm not rushing with info, but this seemed so bare in its original state that i decided to add some things at the end ;x Well, anyhow, hope you enjoy!!

--

**Chapter III**

Blackout wasted no time to follow his leader in fleeing from the city. They avoided gunfire from the remaining humans and Autobots and managed to send the last three raptors tumbling down to the ground. They sped off towards the rendezvous point and finally transformed, safely concealed among the red rocks of the Grand Canyon.

Barricade was there but did not speak; the look and state of his leader and comrade was enough to indicate how the mission went and he did not want to risk enraging Megatron further.

"That arrogant, insubordinate brat! He did it! I can't believe he dared…!" raved the silver mech, pacing around, kicking dust clouds from the dry ground.

"Megatron, what happened? Why did the Allspark disappear? How?" tried Blackout. He didn't understand why they failed; his shot at Starscream finished him but what of the Cube?

"The fool did the thing one would only suspect an Autobot of doing!" Megatron seethed, his fists shaking. "He used his own body to stop me from retrieving it. He took it inside his spark chamber; there is no other explanation. The merging must have overloaded his circuits, terminating that annoying piece of scrap, but unfortunately he took the Cube with him. I didn't think he was desperate enough to do such a thing," he spat bitterly, punching the rocky wall hard enough to leave a large dent.

Blackout and Barricade exchanged a dumbfounded look.

"Master, forgive me, but I really don't think Starscream would ever sacrifice himself for any cause. He is – he was – a selfish coward," spoke Blackout, his tone humble. Megatron regarded him with distaste; he never liked hearing other mechs criticizing his Air Commander, but in the end had to agree.

"He was planning it, he told me at the dam that he wanted to destroy the Cube. Did you know anything about that?"

Both Decepticons looked blank, shaking their heads.

"He was barking mad, but he never brought any of this up among us," grunted Barricade, his voice strained. His wounds from the flyover battle turned out not to be life threatening but still were a hindrance, especially the one he'd sustained from Optimus' blade. "He never mentioned that he wanted to destroy the Allspark; all he ever told us was how he hoped you, Master, would never be found, but I'm guessing that's nothing new to you."

Barricade's attempt at a joke earned him a blow to the face, sending him into the wall. Blackout kept safely back, he had no intention of crossing his leader, especially after yet another lost battle.

"Silence! Or I'll finish what Prime began!"

"It was Starscream!" Barricade spat, energon leaking from his facial plates. "That traitor wanted to bury me alive along with Prime, he didn't even warn me before blowing the whole place up!"

"It's true, Master," interjected Blackout. "I suspect he let me get injured on purpose too, although I have no evidence, but it is his style. It all fits," he gestured wildly. Megatron's attention was turned to him, his eyes gleaming with frustrated comprehension. "Having us dead, Brawl and Bonecrusher defeated by the Autobots, he only needed to get you killed and then the Cube would be all his to use or destroy, whatever he had planned to do with it. He wanted to betray you from the beginning but his plan had failed and he ended up dead. It had to be so, as you just told us, he never tried to hide his true objective. Forgive me, Megatron, but as Barricade said, you of all should know that best how his treacherous mind worked."

Megatron fumed silently, his eyes unable to focus on anything. It did make perfect sense. When he rejected Starscream's plea the flier must have decided to oppose him. Blackout's story fit; it was not the first time the impulsive Air Commander disobeyed a direct order so as to carry out his own, in his overconfident mind, better plan. He never learned to abandon that foolhardy practice even after the punishments Megatron had been administering turned more and more severe. But he had never expected his obnoxious flier to risk his entire being just so he would have his way, leaving the silver mech feeling angry and… desolate.

He would not admit to it in front of anyone, but he had believed Starscream to know the limits of insubordination and to never overstep the line, which would force Megatron to do the irreversible. Their game, as he liked to think of it, was one of the few constant things in his life, and the only one of them he enjoyed. Many of his soldiers had tried to convince him to send Starscream away, degrade him or even have him assassinated because they felt the bad chemistry between the leader of the Decepticons and his second in command would sooner or later evolve into a full-scale civil war. Yet Megatron never listened to their suggestion and had punished any who had wanted to undermine Starscream in his eyes. It was _his_ Seeker, and he knew best what to think of him.

Having the cunning mech beside him helped him keep his guard up and his mind focused; traits a leader of an army at war should value most. It also provided him amusement and stimulation; the sharp-witted banters or the all-out rows they used to have always left him somehow more energized than a sparring session. He had never denied himself physical interaction, though.

He supposed his soldiers regarded him as mad or sadistic, first encouraging the violent Seeker in his outbursts only to have him battered and sniveling at his feet, begging for forgiveness. It might have been cruel of him but he needed to keep his troops in check and Starscream proved to be the perfect example of what happened to insubordinate mechs. On top of that, it only made the Seeker strike back even harder, more keen than before, continuing the vicious cycle of insults and punishments. Of course, any other mech who tried to challenge Megatron in such a way ended up being scrapped, his body parts recycled. One might have accused the silver mech of favoritism, but no one dared to voice it. And as long as all went according to his designs he didn't care about his soldiers' personal opinions.

Megatron shook his head, chasing the old memories away. Things seemed to prefer not to go according to his plans lately, the newest fiasco resulting in losing Cybertron's greatest treasure and his greatest… friend? No, he surely would never call Starscream that. 'Subordinate' didn't carry the meaning of their constantly battling sparks and he would not go as far as to call the Seeker his enemy. He killed his enemies… but he would never want to kill Starscream. Anger took hold over him again; the vision of his second in command's inactive body burned out by the Allspark filled him with such violent emotions that he needed to vent them somewhere. He wished Prime had chased after him; oh, what he wouldn't do to that altruistic fool now, his claws itching to rip and shred. Just why did the little fool have to go so far to get himself killed?!

Blackout trembled slightly when Megatron smashed a nearby boulder; his leader was rarely this furious, but the helicopter-shaped con wasn't really surprised. Starscream's antics cost them all not only the Cube but could endanger their lives as well; they still had to report to the Fallen, and Blackout remembered the few nasty occasions when the brutal ancient dealt with those who failed him.

"Master," he braved, voice small; he didn't want to disturb his leader's thoughts but needed to discuss their next step. "What will you have us do? The Fallen had ordered us to report to him after the mission was carried out, but…"

"I will go to him," decided Megatron. There wasn't much he could tell the Fallen to lessen his impending fury but he would not allow any other mech to take matters into their own hands again. Whatever was about to happen, he needed to be in control. Right now he was facing a bigger threat that the Autobot resistance on this planet; he had to make sure the Fallen stayed contained until he figured out how to deal with him, as his only means of victory was now nonexistent. "Make sure you repair yourselves while I'm gone. I will send more troops whenever I get the chance."

"As you command, Megatron," Blackout saluted and watched their leader transform and blast off into the sky. Barricade grunted again, energon still leaking out from his wounds; Megatron sure could pack a punch, Prime should learn from him, he thought bitterly. He shifted against the rocks to make himself comfortable as he initiated the repair mode, shutting down some of his programs. Blackout sat not far from him, turning off most of his systems as well, taking the time to rest.

The battle was lost but the war was far from over and now they had Megatron.

The Autobot's doom was imminent.

--

Lennox wiped his face from dirt and sweat as he approached Sam and his 'big friend', eyeing the fallen carcass of the enemy flier warily. The two other Decepticons, as the boy had called them, fled but at least the battle was over for now, with most of his men alive, even if barely. There was plenty of things he needed to think about: getting his soldiers patched up and sent off to medical units being the priority, but he was curious, like most of those who have gathered around Starscream's body, as to what exactly had happened. He did see the helicopter robot shoot at his own ally, which was strange enough in itself, but he didn't suspect one shot was able to instantly kill such a durable adversary.

"Sam, thank you," Lennox heard Prime speak to the boy. So it was _his _deed, but what exactly _did _he do? The soldier noticed Sam did not have the strange cube he was supposed to protect; he wouldn't blame him if it got lost somewhere in the rumble against the ferocious robots, but still it would have to be recovered.

"All right, Sam? You not hurt, are you?" he came up to the worn out youth, patting him lightly on the shoulder.

"N-nah, I'm fine, I'm ok," gasped Sam, steadying himself against Optimus' frame. "I think it killed him. Right, Optimus?"

"Yes, it most certainly did. No Decepticon or Autobot could have withstood such a massive surge of energy in his spark. Starscream is dead," he concluded and reached out to his scorched chest. A small, inactive shard was all that was left from the Allspark; the Decepticons could never find out about it or the massacre they all experienced today would undoubtedly repeat itself. He picked it up and gently stored into a compartment in his body.

"Ah, so that cube was what killed the big guy, huh?" asked Epps, approaching his superior. "Ugh," he grimaced. "That's one ugly mother."

"Yes," Prime ignored the human's remark. "Sam had pushed the Allspark into his chest; although I had told him to do it to me. I owe him my life. But if it wasn't for Blackout, I fear not only Sam's life but the entire human race would be endangered. Starscream was very close from snatching the Cube, not just from us, but from Megatron as well. I do not understand why they chose to act in such a contradictory manner, but the twisted minds of the Decepticons are quite difficult to understand."

"I think it's quite clear, Optimus," said Ironhide, as he joined his leader. He was carrying the remains of Jazz in his arms, his faceplates contorted in a pained grimace. "The leader of the traitors got betrayed himself. And I hope Megatron's circuits melt from the rage he must be experiencing," he spat resentfully.

"Oh, Jazz," sighed Prime. They all knew the fight was going to be dangerous and were ready to give up their lives to protect the Allspark and the humans, but it still hurt to see his comrade broken and dead. "He was a good friend," stated Optimus, giving him a silent send off. The soldiers and other Autobots kept quiet, mourning their lost allies. After a moment Lennox put his hand on Optimus' leg in a comforting gesture.

"What are we going to do with him, though? And his other buddies?" Epps motioned with his boot at Starscream, but did not dare to touch him with it. Somehow he did not trust the hellish machines to stay dead, even after the assurance from Prime. The Autobots looked between themselves. It was not in their nature to abandon the bodies of their fallen, but Starscream was the enemy, and it was not their planet, so they didn't really feel they could make that kind of decision.

"On Cybertron they would be melted down and recycled, possibly remade into new, better mechanisms, but here, we feel, we cannot act as the judges of their fate."

"I don't know if I want those nasty things remade into anything. God forbid if someone bought a toaster and it started shooting bread at people."

"Epps," warned Lennox. His sergeant shrugged.

"Jus' saying. Anyway, I think it's not up to us to decide what to do with pretty-boy here, you know? I bet that Sector Seven will want to deal with it by themselves."

Lennox sighed; that was probably what was going to happen. He prayed that this time the government did a better job with the alien baddies than with Megatron.

--

A few days later, after the cover up stories were spread out in the news and the construction teams had started mending the damages caused by the "supposedly hijacked secret military equipment", did the government decide about the alien oppressors' remains.

Starscream, Brawl and Bonecrusher's bodies were dumped into the Laurentian Abyss, their descent monitored by submarine sonar. Prime and the human representatives all agreed that surveillance should be placed in the vicinity of their resting place and maintained at all times in case Megatron and his accomplices should choose to retrieve the remains.

Other than the Autobots and a group of chosen people, Lennox and Epps included, along the newly created NEST team supervisors, no one was informed of that location. Sending their enemies into the depth felt like chasing their ghosts away into the deepest part of the minds; their wicked sparks extinguished and the story of their deeds kept secret but not forgotten.

As for the shard's fate, the Autobots were requested to hand it over to the government; and they did albeit reluctantly. They did not want to start any conflicts with the humans, and as the older and much wiser race, decided to yield to their request. After all, they weren't going to leave it there unprotected.

Prime chose to stay on Earth, to protect it should Megatron desire to take revenge upon his enemies and to guard the Allspark shard. They didn't really have anywhere to go; with Cybertron ruined and abandoned, there was no reason to return unless they found a way to restore it to its former state. Having been given refuge on Earth, he chose to call his brethren to aid his quest and provide them a home among the human sympathizers.

Moreover it was always best to have more soldiers when dealing with Megatron, and Optimus suspected that the time to mobilize against the enemy was, regretfully, not so far ahead.

--

It was silent. Deadly silent.

A creature taken out of a nightmare brushed along the rocky surface, it's body lights illuminating its way in the complete darkness of the chasm. Suddenly it swerved as it met an unfamiliar object, quickly retreating to take a detour in its search for prey.

A huge, clawed arm jerked.

His systems were jammed, static filling his receptors, malfunctions corrupting his data. It felt worse than after the most violent slagging from Megatron he had ever experienced. Where was he? Slowly, he managed to set his systems straight, focusing on them one by one.

The pressure he felt on his metal body was greatly exceeding that of the Earth's atmosphere. Was he shot out into space and crashed on some other planet? He carefully browsed through his memory files, searching for the most recent one.

There, he found it. But… something was not right. He knew what it meant to come so close to an immense energy that was the Allspark; to connect to such power was equal to colliding with a star. He should have been killed, instantly. There should be nothing left of his spark; singed, turned into dust.

Yet he was still online. He did not understand how it had happened or _what_ exactly had transpired that he could feel his spark energizing his body, slowly reactivating all of his systems, rekindling the still energon in his wiring. It felt both familiar and alien to him, as if the energy he was being filled with was not his own.

A thrilling assumption was born in his processor: had he somehow absorbed the Cube's energy? It was madness; it was as improbable as Megatron and Optimus shaking hands and announcing peace and love among their fractions, but he could not shake the wild idea that seemed to possess his thoughts – his spark _was_ the Allspark now!

His eyes glowed fiercely. Wherever he was, he didn't feel like staying there a minute longer. With a violent rumble his engines boiled the water around him, sending a cluster of bubbles behind him as he rose slightly to analyze his position.

He located a submarine circling kilometers above him; if he was being monitored then they probably already knew he was back online. He was not, however, unable to escape their radars. He wasn't called the fastest Seeker of Cybertron for nothing.

He flexed his metallic limbs and shot up, then abruptly turned and blasted vertically, not halfway from the ocean's surface. They would not catch up to him; in air or underwater, it made no difference when dealing with the pathetic humans.

No, they were of no concern of his. He was only interested in two beings in the universe, apart from himself, naturally: the Fallen, only whose agonizing demise would ever satisfy him, and Megatron, whom he wanted to make sorry for each and every thing his spark and body had to endure because of his sadistic whims. With the Allspark inside him, he was sure those mechs would sooner than later pay the price for their sins. And they would pay dearly.

--


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination...

A/N: Ok, as i mentioned before i got the Megs comic aaand i cant stop myself from using it for some backstory O: its too awesome! The Fallen's first official appearance in the fic. Hope i made him horrible cuz i hate that dang piece of junk. Only thing he's good for is being "worse" than Megs which makes Megs the good guy! Ok, the "good" guy ;d  
Anyways, enjoy!

--

**Chapter IV**

The time it had taken to arrive at the Nemesis seemed much shorter than Megatron had expected. He had wanted to use it to gather his thoughts for the confrontation with the hateful Fallen and figure out a way to get out of it alive. The ancient would want to punish him, no doubt about that, but Megatron was more concerned with what was beyond the upcoming reunion. How was he supposed to bring the Fallen down now that the Allspark was lost? Was there any other method of defeating the powerful mech? He'd have to do research on that, or get someone, most likely Soundwave, to investigate it.

He felt reassured knowing his Communications Officer was among the Nemesis' crew, having received the ship's coordinates from him through he comm. link. The enigmatic mech's monotone voice welcomed him back and warned about the Fallen's intentions. Megatron's only response was a gloomy grunt, as he resolutely zoomed across space, a plan slowly forming itself in his mind.

--

The Nemesis' time of glory had long passed, its hull now half buried under ground, its metal corroded and overgrown by native vegetation, and its occupants less than eager to get it up and running. Most of them had no real hopes for ever going back to their home planet, now that it was nothing but a barren globe, uninviting and full of painful memories. The presence of the Fallen and being forced to obey him had brought the Decepticons' morale to an all time low. Brawls erupted almost daily between the remaining soldiers – low on energon and filled with despair, they were quite easy to upset. The Fallen was using this fact to kindle their hostility towards their enemies on Earth and as far as he knew the bloodlust in their eyes was directed only at the humans and Autobots, not at him.

He suspected some of the Decepticons would gladly get rid of him more than attack the Earth, though, but he paid little attention to this fact. After all, there was none who could rival him in power among the soldiers, but most importantly they were too afraid of the punishment had their mutiny failed.

The Fallen had earned himself a reputation of a sadistic executioner during the time of his reign. It put Megatron and his methods far behind in cruelty, as the ancient enjoyed with sick pleasure what the silver leader would finish quickly and almost painlessly. Not that Megatron never took the time to administer the punishment and make sure the offending mechs regretted their errors, but once he decided to kill them, he did it swiftly, with one blast to the spark with his fusion cannon. On the contrary, the Fallen did everything to prolong the agony of having one's spark extinguished, prodding and tearing at their circuits and cables, altogether leaving a mess.

Thankfully for Thundercracker, who was assigned to clean up after these nasty games of the ancient as punishment for his repetitive displays of skepticism towards the 'new' Decepticon cause, the frequency of the gory tortures was now less. The Fallen was obviously focusing on the puny planet now; most of the time you could hear him murmuring evilly, plotting and cursing under his breath. Thundercracker did not envy the inhabitants of Earth, but as Skywarp had ingeniously pointed out, it was better the humans than them.

Right now the duo of Seekers was busy tending to the hatchlings that managed to survive their first days outside of their energon pods. There weren't many of such lucky, or unlucky young, as Thundercracker often reflected bitterly, as most of them did not manage to function without the constant supply of feed or ended up deformed and were sent to be recycled.

Their duty consisted mostly of keeping the little ones fed and kept away from the older mechs, locked securely in their own chamber, where the humidity and temperature was the highest on the entire ship. It was quite bothersome to manage the screeching, wailing beings; the lack of sufficient amount of energon making them cranky and in pain, and thus when the other couple of mechs had come to relieve the Seekers for the next cycle, Thundercracker and Skywarp sighed with relief.

"I'm telling you TC, I'm never having one of those," groaned the black flier. They were heading towards their quarters where, hopefully, waited a portion of their own energon, their clawed feet clanking sluggishly on the metal floor, wings hanging, their circuits tired. "I swear it's like every one of them is a copy of Starscream, if u replaced his prattling with incomprehensible squeaking that is, but the tone! And the way it gets to me, ugh!"

"I don't think you're in any danger of becoming a creator*, 'Warp," sighed Thundercracker. He wanted to forget for a moment about the gaggle they left behind. He really needed some rest.

"And what's that supposed to mean, huh? You saying I'm not good enough to make my own young?" challenged Skywarp. He wasn't really serious about the argument, he didn't really care what his partner thought; but it was a way to kill time, and pushing TC's buttons always made him feel better.

"Skywarp, for Primus' sake-" but he didn't finish, as his attention got drawn by the silver mech closing in on them, fast. Megatron landed heavily beside them, smashing through the organic webs that now covered the wreck of Nemesis, his looming frame as intimidating as always.

"Megatron!!" the Seekers yelled in unison. "Welcome back, master," continued Thundercracker, bowing his head slightly. He was never into all those grand theatrical motions, limiting himself to the needed minimum; submissive gestures were Starscream's domain anyway.

"Thundercracker, Skywarp," acknowledged Megatron, but turned to move away – he wasn't interested in engaging in any conversations with the Seekers.

"We heard what happened on Earth," Skywarp tried to stop the retreating mech. "Soundwave told us, well told everyone. He was the one monitoring the whole mission…" his voice faltered as the silver mech regarded him crossly. He felt his partner's claw tugging at his wing, trying to stop him from asking, but he had to know. "Is… is it true that Starscream did it again? You know, stab you in the back?"

Thundercracker groaned inwardly, cursing Skywarp's big mouth, as Megatron grabbed the black Seeker by the neck and lifted him up to his eye level. _I knew it would end up like this…_

"I didn't think you were foolish enough to replace Starscream in trying to mock me, Skywarp," growled Megatron squeezing hard, making his subordinate claw at his arm and kick his legs wildly. "If I were you, I'd reconsider and kept my mouth shut, unless you want to inherit the punishment methods I used for him."

Megatron threw Skywarp viciously, and stormed off to find the Fallen. Thundercracker wanted to help his partner up but decided against it; any painful lesson 'Warp could learn from his mistakes was for his benefit only. But alas, it seemed futile, as always, as the black Seeker started to snicker under his breath.

"What the slag is wrong with you!? You almost got killed!"

"Yeah, maybe," shrugged Skywarp as he stood back up next to his partner. "But I'd rather see the bright side of the situation: you owe me your energon tonight! I think Megatron's outburst was answer enough, don't you?"

Thundercracker was taken aback for a moment, then crossed his arms and huffed. "He didn't say it was true, and I'm not stupid enough to ask him again."

"You just don't wanna lose!"

"And why do you have to win?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Skywarp cracked a smile, nudging TC in the chest. The azure Seeker groaned defeated.

"Fine, the bet's over. You win." He mumbled grimly and they continued their way to their chambers. Sometimes he really wanted to lock Skywarp with the annoying little hatchlings and never open the door again.

--

Running into the Seekers did not lift Megatron's spirits; having threatened and manhandled Skywarp didn't even give him any satisfaction, on the contrary, it left him feeling quite glum. It seemed fate had cursed him when it came to Seekers; Starscream's trine being especially troublesome. The black mech was immature and needed constant supervision, the blue had always been brooding and had to be… persuaded into following orders, either by his mates or Megatron's cannon. And of course the leader of the trine... well Megatron didn't really want to recall all the trouble _he_ had given him. If he did, he'd have to remember that it would never happen again and this fact, which for some might have been good news, puzzlingly pained him.

He stopped for a moment. He needed to get a grip on himself; think about the future, and not dwell in the past, he reminded himself. Yes, he would have to choose a new Air Commander… but somehow that prospect made him feel more repulsed than meeting the Fallen. How come all of his fliers were… incompetent? He didn't want a mech that had to be baby-sat on the battlefield, but there weren't many options. Thundercracker and Skywarp were out by default, his other trine… well Megatron wasn't that desperate to let Ramjet or Thrust lead anything or anyone and Dirge just didn't cut it. Not that he knew whether those cons were alive or on Nemesis.

Passing a field of humming hatchling pods he ground his claws and only his self-control stopped him from smashing one or two of them in newly awoken frustration. Electing a new Air Commander would have to be postponed, hopefully indefinitely. Somehow replacing Starscream so soon was a bad idea. Not that he was mourning his second in command; that was an outrageous thought. He just had other matters to worry about. Besides there really was no other flier that could fit in that role and whom Megatron could trust to finish a given assignment.

Trust… it was really bizarre now to put that word together with his late second in command's name in a sentence. He wouldn't be able to count how many times the wayward flier had failed him if he tried. But if he had to be honest, Starscream rarely did so on the battlefield and proved to be a reliable asset to his army. The drawback of having him interfering in and voicing usually critical opinions about his leading the troops was more or less easily outweighed by his skills in the sky and on the ground when it came to warfare.

Ever since Soundwave had introduced his trine, Megatron had taken to the leader instantly; his self-assured smile guaranteeing that the silver leader had met a mech worthy of his time and confidence. And indeed, since the early beginning of Megatron's uprising Starscream had carried out his tasks eagerly, if not compliantly, and without fault. Sometimes a disapproving comment would slip out or an attempt to change his leader's mind about tactics, but soon Megatron had taught him how unwelcome criticism was. It was like training a pet or teaching your own creation about how the world worked and how manners and obedience could get you into good places. Starscream had caught on quick and resolved to flattery whenever he saw there was no chance in getting what he wanted by simply voicing his mind, although he did not demonstrate a lot of patience.

That's how the beatings began. Megatron could not find any other reliable way to put the willful Seeker in his place, but he never had given it much thought to be honest. Having Starscream so close, incapable of standing up to him when all his witty remarks were used up, and quite powerless in his claws, gave the silver leader a feeling of power different from that of an army commander. To have such a strong effect on another mech, in such a close, if not intimate way, thrilled Megatron and he couldn't have wished for a better 'playmate' than Starscream. The sadistic pleasure he got from their mostly one-sided fights made him feel even more fulfilled as a leader and as a dominant figure in general. He especially needed this reassurance after he had lost his position to the Fallen, and although no mech knew about it, he had to do it for his damaged pride's sake.

Right now he wondered if he should have given Starscream an explanation, confined in his Seeker, but he dismissed that thought right away. He, Megatron, did not confide in anyone about his failures, and besides it was too late now. The death of his second had cost him a lot: a formidable flier, a challenging, strong individual to control and to attempt to crush, but most of all someone who could make his spark tremble with anticipation. For all it was worth, Megatron was glad to have had the Seeker with him, but it made the loss that much more aggravating. Having gone and burned himself to death, Starscream had failed him again… for the last time.

--

The Fallen sat in his throne with his eyes closed and fingers laced, patiently awaiting his long-gone servant to enter his chamber any minute now and start groveling for forgiveness. And he, the great leader that he was, would grant it to him mercifully, but not after enjoying his broken voice filled with humiliation and fear. He never could hear enough of the mechs begging him for mercy; it would never bore him to see the cringing before his mighty frame and watch them break under his devastating mind power. He would see to it that Megatron suffered greatly for the disappointment he had caused him with terrible satisfaction but he would not kill him.

His silver subordinate was lucky, but probably didn't realize the nature of his fortune and the Fallen would wait to reveal the… surprise he was planning for Megatron. His next task, he mused, could be even regarded as a reward! Still he would have to work for that reward and the price for it would be disgrace.

--

Megatron reached the Fallen's quarters shortly after his arrival, having taken no detours, aside those in his mind. He stood proudly before the mech he was forced to call his 'master', unyielding in his resolve to not show any kind of remorse or fear. He knew he was playing a hazardous game; the Fallen was quite unpredictable and had appreciated different kinds of attitudes depending on his mood.

A fierce telekinetic shove made Megatron realize it wasn't a good day for the confident. He crashed painfully into the wall and, sliding down, braced himself for another blow.

It came right after a sneer, and Megatron was glad the chamber was located in a secluded part of the ship. It would do him greater harm if his soldiers witnessed this disgraceful scene than having his chest pounded and torn by his torturer's ferocious claws.

"The failure of a commander returns to my side!" mocked the ancient mech, pulling Megatron towards him and tossing him on the floor by his feet, holding him down with his mind. "And how foolish he is to not crawl before me, begging for me to spare his unworthy self." Megatron froze in his kneeling pose, his arms supporting his front, head bent, eyes staring into the floor. "Tell me, my _apprentice_, why shouldn't I simply end your life now, doing what a true Decepticon leader should do to those who fail him?" he thought aloud, lifting the silver mech's face up with his foot, making him look into his blazing eyes, see his unhidden pleasure he took in controlling him this way.

"Because, you see," the ancient continued. "Unlike you, I do not have any favorites; no toys that I want to keep by my side to play with whenever I want." Megatron grit his jaw at the apparent attempt to bring out his secret predilection for Starscream. _Not that secret, obviously_, he thought infuriated. "Tell me what can possibly stop me from replacing you with any of the Decepticons present on this vessel?"

Megatron glared at the Fallen, unable to relinquish, even if he knew it only diminished his chances of survival. But he had to try and turn the situation in his favor. He spoke slowly, with solemnity and conviction. "Because there is no other Decepticon whose spark burns stronger with the desire to bring down the Autobot scum who dwell on Earth more than me."

The Fallen regarded his servant with a look of an amused killer, who would laugh together with his victim before driving a knife in their guts. "Oh, are you?" he smiled evilly, waiting for a slip from Megatron, so he could start the beating at last; he always liked his punishments to be dramatic. "And what makes your rage so exceptional that I would want to suffer your incompetence even an instant longer? How can you prove you will not fail so spectacularly as you have with your last mission?"

Megatron held the Fallen's crazed look boldly, not wanting the ancient to see him calculating his options at the speed of light. Finally, he answered, his voice confident, or at least he hoped the Fallen would perceive it as such. "This time, my _master_, I have no reason to hold back against my enemies, now that the precious Cube has ceased to be and force me to be cautious. I will not relent in bringing not only the Autobots but the entire planet and its inhabitants to their ruin. My wrath will be unstoppable, and the revenge for our fallen brethren will be calamitous."

There was a sudden pause when Megatron expected to be either praised or kicked, but instead, to his mounting dismay, the Fallen had burst out laughing. It was short lived however; a clawed foot sent the silver mech flying, his facial plates scratched deeply.

"There is no 'your wrath', there is no 'your revenge', fool!" shouted the enormous mech, rising from his seat and looming over Megatron's frozen frame. With a sudden burst of pain in his midsection, the leader of the Decepticons was pierced with the Fallen's staff, his oppressor twisting it maliciously. "You've had your reign, Megatron, and you have lost it eons ago. Now there are only _my_ wishes and commands, and you will do nothing unless I grant you the opportunity to do it. Now, beg me to reconsider ripping your body in half! Let me hear you plead like one of the pitiful fools you had once tortured and killed. BEG ME!"

The Fallen yanked the staff and shoved it back deep into Megatron's chest. The silver mech groaned in pain, his systems blaring with warnings. The situation was bad, but not the worst he had predicted: he was still online and was being given a chance, unless the Fallen was just toying with him, which was always an option. Still, he decided he no longer had any choice but to give in, or at least pretend to. _Perhaps having to deal with Starscream so often like this will have proven useful, not just entertaining,_ he thought without humor.

"Forgive me, master," he forced himself to say, recalling the countless times he had heard those words uttered by his second. "I'll do as you command; anything you desire, I will make sure you will get it."

An ugly grimace spread on the Fallen's façade, as he roughly removed his weapon, delivering one last kick to Megatron's side before retreating to his seat. _How boring,_ he thought, disappointed in his servant's swift forfeit; he had hoped to play a little longer before he had given in, but he'd have to wait for another chance. Given Megatron's disposition and his own capriciousness, he would not have to wait long. But now, that the playtime was over, he wanted to get down to the business.

"Very well," he announced, sitting once again and watching his servant's failed attempts to get up. "I will grant you this last, and I mean _last_, chance to do carry your task out without any failures."

"Thank you, master," grunted Megatron, making the Fallen smile at his servile tone, and hating every second of it.

"Now, as you may have guessed, I had ordered Soundwave to keep watch over your revival from the human planet's orbit. He had related to me all the details of Starscream's mission and how he had tried to betray me by stealing the Allspark." Megatron listened intently, and was for a moment petrified, fearing that the Fallen might have been told about their conversation at the dam, when he voiced his objective to overthrow him, but it seemed that Soundwave's loyalties had lain with him and not the ancient: the Communication's Officer had not told him everything. "You have failed to retrieve the Cube, but it was your treacherous pet who had done you in and as a consequence has created a setback in my plans. He did not, however, succeed in hindering me completely, as his attempt to destroy the artifact was a failure, much as what he himself turned out to be."

"The Cube was not destroyed!?" gasped Megatron. It was impossible, it should have melted itself entirely along with Starscream's spark, that was what the act devised by Optimus was supposed to be all about!

"Not exactly. I had felt its presence since the moment it had been moved from its hiding place until the traitor had put it into his chest. There was a burst of energy and then all trace of it was lost… until just not long ago, when its radiance had reached me again."

"That means…!" Megatron's mind was racing; the Cube was still there for him to acquire, he still had the chance to use it against the Fallen. He needed to get it!

"Yes, it means your second chance to bring it to me stands before you. But let me divulge a certain, interesting detail that I'm sure you will appreciate and use it to fulfill your desire for a very personal revenge." The Fallen turned his eyes into slivers, watching Megatron confusion.

"A personal… revenge?"

"You see the Allspark has transformed," the ancient growled with amusement. "The form it has taken is allowing the last being it had touched to function." Megatron stared at his master, an idea of what the Fallen was talking about dawning on him. "I do not fully grasp the nature of this transformation, however I know, as you might already have grasped, what must be done to be able to harness its power for my purpose."

"Are you saying that… Starscream…?"

"That worthless piece of scum is alive, and what I order you to do is to kill him and bring his spark, the Allspark, to me, along with the head of that disgusting traitor! It will serve as a reminder for those whose thoughts stray towards such pointless endeavors as opposing me. Kill him and with his demise bring your foolish weakness to an end! Get yourself rid of that meaningless distraction and I will make sure you will get as many Autobot victims to torture and kill as you want."

Megatron was dumbfounded, but quickly recovered, hiding his emotions under a grave façade. This was the perfect opportunity to make the Fallen trust him and allow him to bring the hateful tyrant down. What he had to do was simple. Without any hesitation he bowed and said:

"It will be done, my master."

--

* I really am confused about the mechs reproducing so i picked the most reasonably sounding version - they build their 'kids' and thus Daddies and Mommies are called Creators and the 'lil ones called Creations (brilliant! orz). I really cant imagine how plug&play can make babies for that race, so don't flame if ur a fan of that xD Buh bye!


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination = exploitable mucho!!

A/N: Sorry for the longer wait, had days filled with my FFXI events and couldn't find enough time to write, tho this chapter has been ready for a while now.. just wanted to catch up on the next so you wouldn't have to wait long for it either. Really trying to keep up the pace cuz i myself hate to wait for updates (horrible to check like 5 fics everyday only to see theres no new chap). Anyways! Thanks for reviews as always ;3 So happy you like the story so far.

I'd answer some of your questions but i really don't know what's gonna happen later so i don't want you to expect something i wont write, in case i change my mind. ;d But for one i think id like to change the genre into Love/Angst but since there's only Romance (and that doesn't fit, cuz this is diff kind of love im thinking about) it's gonna stay Friendship. K, enough yappin, on with the fic. ENJOY!!

EDIT: Feel free to check out an additional 1-shot background story "Empathy"! ^o^

--

**Chapter V**

After the earlier run in with the troublesome duo, Megatron was reluctant to include them in his pursuit team, but capturing Starscream required someone who could at least attempt to catch up to him and only his trine mates were capable of that. They were not thrilled to say the least, when their objective was announced, but really, they could not oppose. As close as they had been with the Air Commander before, it was high time someone taught him how disloyalty truly got you nowhere. Moreover Skywarp owed his trine leader some good, hard aft-whoopin' for all the times Starscream had executed his authority to reprimand the black Seeker.

For Thundercracker, the only good thing in this assignment was that they had been refueled, and that he was leaving the screaming little nasty hatchlings in the hands of Ramjet and Thrust; evil satisfaction tingling in his chest as the two flier trines never liked each other too much.

And it was good to stretch their wings after years of confinement on the Nemesis. The Fallen did send them on various errands, but they were usually boring scouting missions, which left the Seekers unfulfilled and itching for a good fight.

Well, Thundercracker smiled ruefully, they were going to get it.

--

Megatron led the fliers through the space towards Earth in silence. The two occasionally exchanged banter through their personal comm. link but their leader had no desire to indulge in the unproductive activity. He was recalling the Fallen's plans, the ancient had boasted about after revealing the truth about Starscream.

What the Fallen's objective was, and it seemed he had been thinking about it for a very long time, was to use the Allspark not to strengthen himself as he had once planned, but to use it to activate a very old mechanism, which would create energon not only for himself but for the entire army. After discovering where Megatron had crashed, the ancient mech had realized that it was the same planet as the one where his once called brothers had betrayed him and where the last Star Harvester was located. The Fallen had explained its function and believed Megatron would want to utilize it, as gladly as him, to destroy all life on Earth.

While it was Megatron's ambition to make the humans pay, he did not however wish the Allspark to be used that way, strengthening the old mech being a bad idea in itself, and due to the fact that it was the only force capable of destroying the Fallen. Or so he hoped. The reason for his hesitation was currently his primary target and the silver mech had to wonder if the Allspark could destroy the Fallen if it hadn't done so to Starscream.

He did not voice his suspicions about the outcome of his second's merging with the Allspark before the menacing mech: was his second more powerful now? Did the Cube's power enhance his abilities or given him limitless energy so capturing him would prove impossible? Not that he had thought that it was going to be easy in the first place, his Air Commander could be clever and sneaky if he wanted to be. Finding him would take time, because, for sure, Starscream would hide. It was highly unexpected for him to return to his side as if nothing had happened; no, Megatron did not accuse him of such foolishness.

As if reading his mind, and probably doing so, Soundwave had established communication with his silver leader.

"Position – as commanded. Closing in on the human satellite."

"Excellent," replied Megatron. At least one mech would never fail him. "Hack into their system and try to find any mention of Starscream or his current position."

"At once, Megatron." There was a long pause before the droning voice announced his penetration through the comm. link. "Commencing the search."

"Alert me if you find anything, Megatron out."

"Before radio silence established – permission to ask two questions, sir." Megatron was surprised; Soundwave usually did not bother to ask about anything, he simply read the minds of others.

"Go ahead."

"Inquiry one – do you plan to use the Allspark for your own means? Inquiry two – do you really wish to terminate Starscream?"

So the Communications Officer _had_ read his mind it seemed. Megatron debated telling his subordinate about his plan but something was not right; if Soundwave had looked into his processor, then why did he need to ask?

"I thought you could read minds, to not bother asking questions, Soundwave, or has your ability deteriorated while staying so long with that old imbecile?"

"Negative – ability not declined. Your mind at this moment – incomprehensible. Deduction – internal struggle and hesitation. Personal choice of action – inquiry."

Megatron was left muted. _"Internal struggle", he says?_ "There is nothing I'm hesitating about, Soundwave. I have a clear objective and a plan how to get what I want. You just follow my orders and ask no more of these annoying questions. Focus on your task at hand," he growled, decisively ending the discussion.

"As you command, Megatron."

The three jets were nearing Mars when Soundwave announced, this time allowing all of them to hear, that Starscream had been spotted flying over the mountains far north to the dam's location. "The humans have alerted the Autobots, but Starscream had concealed himself and they are unable to locate him at this moment."

"Excellent. Send Ravage to the location of Blackout and Barricade, we shall meet them there. Decepticons, begin the assault!"

--

As their enemies approached in secret, the Autobots' attention was drawn to the mysteriously resurrected Decepticon. The submarine sonar was only able to detect his movement for a short while before he disappeared from that region but judging by his speed, the Autobots have jointly decided that it had to be Starscream. The direction he had disappeared off to was indicating towards Canada or the north parts of the United States and that was where NEST concentrated their forces. Their satellites were focused on that part of the world, but little did they know that their search had been monitored and relayed to Megatron.

Optimus did expect some Decepticon activity to appear along Starscream's revival but he did not know if they would assist or try to hinder the devious flier in whatever quest he might be on.

The Autobots weren't able to explain how one of their most tenacious enemies was back online; all their knowledge of the Allspark was contradictory to whatever had happened to Starscream. Their befriended human allies, Lennox and Epps, were currently on a short leave and Sam was back home with Bumblebee so Optimus had a hard time dealing with the enraged government officials and their military advisors but had patiently listened to all of their accusations. He could not explain but he had assured them that his team would investigate the rogue flier and bring him down. He only asked the humans for patience; knowing Starscream, he would most likely lie low like a snake, waiting for the right opportunity to strike.

--

And lie low he did. After surfacing, Starscream had crossed the Appalachian Mountains and descended into the forested area of eastern Canada. Transforming, he landed gracefully among the trees, cutting a few of them with his handsaw to make more room for himself.

This would do. In this secluded place he could come up with a plan to take his revenge on his two enemies, unhindered and safe from detection from both the Autobots and Decepticons. The new energy he got from his Allspark would not exhaust itself for millennia to come; he was sure he had all the time in the world to plot the doom of the Fallen and Megatron's punishment.

First of all, however, he had to get accustomed to the new and not yet stable energy source he possessed. For, during his short flight, he had encountered unexpected disruptions in his internal systems, pulses of enormous energy trying to overwhelm him and burst out of his frame. It was unsettling, but the confident flier was sure that all he needed, was time to get adjusted to the much more powerful core, and soon he would hold – no, become – the most powerful force in the universe!

Just to give it a try, he extended his arm and formed it into his missile launcher and set one of them off. The blast did not seem to be stronger than usual. _Strange_, he thought, but dismissed his doubts for now. The damage it would do to a Transformer's internal circuitry or armor could not be determined by shooting at dirt and trees; he would have to find a better target to test it on. He had to know just how fast he would be able to destroy the silver armor, to make sure he didn't finish the job too quickly, not before Megatron had the chance admit his faults and beg for forgiveness.

He was lost in the idea of his despised leader on his knees when an unexpected jolt in his chest shook him awake from his daydream. It wasn't painful; it was more like a sudden epiphany, a vision so vivid he had to grab onto a towering tree so as not to fall. Countless symbols flashed before his eyes, creating lines and rows of text too fast to decipher. He saw locations unknown to him and beings who looked much older than him or Megatron. His processor was being overwhelmed by the sheer amount and speed of encrypted information infusing his circuits that he thought he was going to have an emergency shut down but as spontaneously as it began, the vision ended, leaving Starscream shaken and his energon boiling.

"What the slag was that?" he gasped, clutching at his cockpit, trying to stop his vision from shaking. The symbols looked Cybertronian, he was sure he had seen them somewhere before but could not read them. Was this all the Cube's doing? Was it telling him something?

"Impossible," he decided. The Cube was a part of him now, and he would need to learn how to harness its power and not get controlled instead. Besides, it was just an artifact; it had no mind of its own, did it?

Shaking his head at those theories he turned back to inspecting his weapons when he realized his systems were picking up a signal he had not detected before, annoying bleeping reverberating in his processor.

"What now!?" he groaned and turned towards the direction it was indicating. It was coming from the south and he read the information that appeared on his display. Or would have read it, but it had changed into the mysterious symbols. What he could understand though, was that it was an energy source and, strangely, he could actually sense it when he focused on it. "Oh, this might be useful," his eyes flashed as he calculated the distance. It wasn't far, in Starscream's estimation and shortly after the first signal he detected another source of energy nearby. "Autobot!"

His chance to practice on a live target had come far sooner than he had expected and the lone mech would not stand a chance against his renewed and enhanced strength. Without another thought, he transformed and blasted off south, his mad laugh echoing in the valley.

--

Sam Witwicky could no longer be called a normal boy. Unfortunately having met alien robots and fought along them to protect an ancient artifact did not stop his parents from acting like a normal boy's parents would: assaulting him with thousands of questions when he returned from Missions City, his body in bandages and wearing singed clothes covered in blood, accompanied by men dressed in suits taken out of "Men in Black".

Explaining about his camaro guardian alien and his friends was one thing, but actually letting him keep his 'car' was another. Judy wanted nothing to do with any aliens, especially the violent kind who already have successfully ruined her garden. The secret agents assured the Witwickys would stay under government protection, both financial and otherwise, if they agreed to give the yellow Autobot asylum and keep the whole thing quiet.

This fact had instantly changed Ron's mind and after a short talk the agents left and Sam happily introduced the transformed Bumblebee to his parents. Which had not ended up so well actually, as Ron could not stop himself from commenting on Bee's name, deciding a tough robot like him should be called something like Brute or Viper. The camaro had not taken that insult calmly, activating his cannons and scaring Judy 'shitless', as she later shouted while reprimanding Sam.

That was, of course, not all she had against the whole alien business. Sam miraculously rescued his clothes from the garbage and had hidden them in his closet, announcing they were his treasure and had forbidden his mother to ever wash it or throw it away. Judy had grumbled but after a while she let him have his way.

To say the least, the week after the fight in Mission City had been nothing less but tiresome.

But right now, he wasn't thinking about the hassle he had gone through, as he was excitedly driving home from school to change and grab a quick snack, before meeting Mikaela in town. They were going to go visit her dad in prison, Sam having insisted on introducing himself to his future father-in-law, as he had jokingly called him earlier when they had planned this trip. The girl was still a little uncomfortable about him knowing of her family crisis but Sam wanted to fix what his previous outburst had possibly damaged, when he was too shocked to think straight when Simmons had taken them into custody. He was, after all, an open-minded youth and he loved Mikaela enough to accept that her dad might've had a mishap or two in his past.

He hummed happily along whatever songs Bumblebee was playing, the day's theme of choice being road trip hits. From time to time he flicked the dangling BEE-OTCH air freshener, which actually had no smell, or patted the driving wheel affectionately. He was happy the yellow Autobot had chosen to stay with him; they shared a bond: that 'mystical' connection between a boy and his car; but also he found out how cute Bee could be, as far as huge warrior robots went, and that he had a pretty naughty sense of humor which made Mikaela laugh. He was his friend but not the kind that would accuse him of breaking any of those ridiculous teenage rules like 'bros before hoes', but the real supporting and caring kind. And on top of that the camaro disguise was just hot.

"You're awf..lly happ.. oday S-Sam," sounded the mechanic voice, the old malfunction still not fixed completely.

"Sure I am, Bee. We're going to meet Mikaela's dad, you know? I really think it's a good idea, I want to know more about her."

"Are you goin… interrogate Mika..s creator to gain new in…mation?" Sam laughed at that.

"Nonono, Bee, it's not like that. When I meet him, and all goes well, he won't mind me dating her and I won't mind him being in prison, so her and me won't have no problems with going to the next base! In theory, that is."

"The next base?"

Sam sighed, stroking the car's dashboard. "So many things you need to learn, buddy, but this will have to wait till we're alone. I don't want you playing any suspicious songs while she's on here today, and I think you'd be too tempted after you heard the explanation."

"Killjoy," snorted Bee, making Sam smile.

They were approaching his house when suddenly they heard a loud crash ahead. Dreading, Sam stepped on it but Bee was faster and had already accelerated. As they feared, the noise was coming from around their house, but even in the wildest dreams they did not expect to see the supposedly dead Starscream in their backyard, tearing off the roof of his room. Judy was screaming on the driveway, hugging Mojo to her chest and waving her other hand wildly. _As if a huge birdlike robot in our garden wasn't enough to draw attention_, Sam thought annoyed.

"Bee, I dunno what's going on, but I don't think he came to pay a friendly visit," he told his car as he jumped out of the camaro. Bumblebee sped towards the house and transformed, using the bushes as a cover from the gathering onlookers. Starscream sensed him approaching and sent a round of shells in his direction and then leaped into the air, transforming, and sped off down the lane. Bee followed him swiftly, ignoring Sam shouting for him to take him along. The Seeker had always been a violent and dangerous adversary, he did not want his friend to be endangered by him more than he already had been.

He found the right wavelength on his radio and reported to Optimus about the surprise appearance from the Seeker. The Autobot leader told him to wait for backup but Bee could not let this villain do as he pleased; attacking his new home had angered the little bot a lot.

--

_Blast the Autobot's timing_, Starscream fumed, zooming low above the streets, but making sure the yellow car was still on his tail. He wanted to fight the Autobot, but his first objective was to locate the energy source. It had to be something small, because he did not see anything in the house that emanated with the energy he felt. If only he had a few more minutes he would have found it but that pesky little bot just had to interfere. He would deal with him, though and return there retrieve the item, it was just a little delay for him.

He landed near an abandoned factory, waiting for his adversary to show. Soon enough, the yellow Autobot leaped behind the cover of some dilapidated buildings and shot at Starscream.

"How dare you shoot at me, scum!?" he bellowed and took off, readying his missile launchers. A few of them hit the construction, sending rubble everywhere but one had hit the target. Smoke coming from his shoulder plating, Bee quickly moved towards the main section of the factory. He had little chance getting the Seeker if he stayed in the air, so he had to lure him down and inside, where his moves would be restrained. Bee knew Starscream's impatience and decided to use it against him.

"Hiding like an insect!? How typical!" mocked Starscream, still airborne. "You Autobots haven't changed since the times when I cut your friends down back on Cybertron. Do you think I don't see the pathetic plot you're trying here?" He laughed, but Bumblebee's stalling was beginning to anger him. He was the new most powerful mech in the universe; he would not be ignored! "Fine, if you want to die like your cowardly predecessors, then be my guest!"

He meant to use some of his power to blast the factory away and bury the Autobot under the rubble, but something went horribly wrong. His vision turned crimson, the symbols flashing again and he felt his energon heating up. He lost all control and instead of releasing the missiles, he felt the Allspark' energy forcing its way out through his entire being, enveloping him in light and spreading all around him like a supernova. The factory buildings and a few of the neighboring structures were blown away, and Bumblebee struggled to find something to hold onto, to not get blasted away like everything around him.

The flame within him burned, but it did not hurt the same as if he were on fire, rather it seemed to choke him from the inside, pulling at his spark, as if it was imploding. When the light surrounding him was finally extinguished, he fell from the sky, crashing into the scorched ground. He was stunned but alive.

--

"Megatron! Welcome back, master," bowed Blackout when his leader and two fliers arrived at their hideout. Ravage was already there, circling impatiently, itching to get into action and Barricade was missing; he had left to acquire some energy. He had mentioned something about desert highway petrol stations to the chopper but the other was too focused on trying to locate Skorponok and Frenzy to care. While the first was still alive, stranded in the Middle East desert, he could not get any signals from the hyperactive spy. He did not think the little restless con was dead, but he had to give up on his search for the time being. Right now he had to report to his master and listen to the new plan.

While Soundwave had assured him that the Fallen had no real allies aboard the Nemesis, Megatron felt he should not divulge full details of his plot to his soldiers just yet. Blackout was faithful, so he did not need to be informed – he would carry out his orders even if he knew nothing of their purpose. And the orders were brilliantly clear – capture Starscream, alive, but not necessarily uninjured.

Hearing that made Blackout shake with anticipation – he craved for revenge and now he could get it while fulfilling Megatron's order, which gave him double the eagerness to get going, which he immediately voiced.

"You do realize you're in for a challenge, right Bee-Oh?" asked Skywarp. He had found a nice place to rest on a rocky ledge and was regarding his fellow Decepticons from above. He was also quite bored; with Megatron having wandered off to plot and nothing else to do but wait, he needed a good distraction.

Blackout glared at the cocky Seeker, perfectly recognizing the superior tone in his voice. The chopper was an aerial mech, but those jet cons always let him know what they thought of his flight abilities. "I'm perfectly capable of bringing Starscream down, you imbecile. "Who do you think had stopped him from stealing the Cube in the first place?"

"Yeah, you did a great job! I'm sure Megatron is awfully grateful that his most treacherous soldier is now running on Allspark brand fuel, and probably plotting his horrible death. Gee, and I thought you were on Megatron's side!"

Thundercracker abandoned watching the unusually shaped clouds; it was starting to get hot down here. "Skywarp, that's enough! Focus on your mission and leave Blackout alone," he warned his partner with a pointed claw. "And you should know better than indulge him. Just ignore him," he told the chopper con, stepping between the two.

"Who stuck the Fallen's staff up your aft? I was just having a nice conversation."

"'Warp, your 'conversations' are never nice. Just go for a walk or something."

Skywarp snorted, and jumped from his ledge, and, with a crack, teleported to the edge of the canyon wall. "'Take a walk' he says, humph," he huffed but did as his trine mate had instructed.

Thundercracker sighed with relief; he did not want to witness a senseless brawl, especially during an important mission. He did, however, understand Skywarp's impatience. It's been a few hours since they arrived and Megatron still had not discussed his strategy. If only Soundwave could give them the information they needed…

"Attention Megatron," Soundwave voice resounded on the open link, granting Thundercracker's wish. "Starscream's location – acquired. Sending coordinates. Bumblebee – in pursuit. Other Autobots – aware and preparing to move out."

"Excellent, Soundwave," said Megatron, returning to his troops.

"It seems Starscream was too impatient and decided to take revenge on the human child," prompted Blackout. "The coordinates indicate the place where Barricade first had made contact with him."

"Tell him to proceed to the location, we shall fly ahead and intercept our runaway. Blackout, take Ravage with you. Decepticons move ou-!" A sudden burst had offlined his systems making him and the others fall to the ground. The shock lasted only for a second, but it left them bewildered, unsteadily getting up to their feet.

"What the slag was that!?" shouted Skywarp from above, not daring to teleport just yet, his navigation systems having gone all high wire.

"Megatron," Soundwave called, as if answering the Seeker's angered question. "An enormous concentration of energy appeared at Starscream's location. Class – Cybertronian, origin – unclear. Assumption – Starscream has engaged in battle with the Autobot."

"Too bad for him," muttered Megatron. He checked his systems and transformed, shooting high into the sky. "Decepticons, the pursuit is on!"

--


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination

Again thanks for comments... i laughed at the last one and cried a bit inside too xD Hope you enjoy this... i did, tho it was a kinda slow process... aaaand i felt a bit evil writing this^^;

--

**Chapter VI**

Only when his systems automatically rebooted, did Bumblebee learn how long it had taken him to cool down and restart after that horrifying explosion. His vision was still hazy but he could at least move. So he dug.

After a moment of work he punched a hole through the pile of rubble that had imprisoned him and crawled out on to what was once the factory's ground floor. Looking around he noticed it was almost evening and that Starscream was still slumped on the ground, possibly repairing himself. He hadn't noticed Bumblebee yet, so the little Autobot decided to stay put and try to listen to Starscream, who was, unsurprisingly, murmuring to himself.

"What's going on!? You're not supposed to go against me! _I_ control you now!" fumed the Seeker as he spoke to himself, inspecting his spark chamber for damage. The sudden implosion he felt and the explosion which had obliterated the entire area didn't seem to hurt him in any way aside from draining his strength, making him feel like he'd flow from Earth to Cybertron ten times straight. He could barely move and his audio and visual receptors distorted his perception. The hazy display was filled with those annoying little symbols, which made his processor slowly overload itself, but the energy signals were still there: both belonging to the Autobot and the mysterious power source hidden in the boy's house.

Suddenly he froze. More signals appeared and seemed to be closing in on him fast. Focusing, he could recognize his leader's distinct aura, followed by his trine mates, that piece of servile scrap Blackout and one of Soundwave's minions. He had a pretty clear idea what they were after, and if they found him in this shaken state, his whole strategy would be undermined and his ambitious plans would be rendered futile.

Painstakingly, he climbed to his feet and steadied himself. He had to think fast. Facing five opponents would prove quite difficult in his current situation, even considering that he possessed the Allspark's mighty power; he still stubbornly refused to acknowledge that he was having trouble controlling it. He must not have focused enough before, his slip-ups were the result of that, he tried to reason. Megatron did not know that, however, and it still gave him some advantage over the powerful triple-changer. Yet, he did not want to have to deal with all of them at once: as much as he wanted to show off with his new power, he did not want to see Blackout's ugly façade or listen to Skywarp's taunts. Yes, that was it.

Deciding on the course of action, he fired up his engines and took off. His transformation wasn't as swift as usual; his systems were still a bit unstable, but it was enough for him to flee from Megatron's party. Before he blasted off however, he sent a short series of shells towards Bumblebee's hiding place, having felt him the entire time; but as he was short on it at the moment, he decided to bid him farewell for now in his usual strafing manner. The yellow Autobot ducked and prepared to fire back but his attacker had shot upward and away before he could even shift into position. Not wasting any time, he contacted Optimus and told him everything he could remember about the strange explosion, unable to explain what had exactly happened and how Starscream had felt his presence. The Autobot leader was glad that Bee was safe but still reprimanded him and repeated his order to stay back and this time the camaro warrior was going to listen.

--

"Megatron, update on Starscream's position – now heading west," Soundwave told his leader. "The Autobot he engaged – survived, but had given Prime an odd report."

"Proceed."

Soundwave relayed what he had learned from the Autobots' conversation, the details of Starscream's peculiar condition unexplained, but enough for Megatron's processor to start working rapidly. "Well done, Soundwave. It seems the energy we felt earlier was coming from him," he told his troops. "I have a feeling it was an action he did not control entirely and which could give us much advantage. If he is unable to manipulate the Allspark to do his bidding, he may not be much of a threat to us."

"As if he had ever been a real threat for you, mighty Megatron!" interjected Blackout eagerly, but only earning a shot from his leader's cannon.

"Silence! I know perfectly well what we are dealing with, as you have earlier pointed out, I should know best what he's capable of. And I _know_ how dangerous he is if underestimated."

Blackout was left muted, with a sniggering Skywarp barrel-rolling above him. "Pay attention! Employ caution, we don't know how the Cube's power had changed his own. What we do know is that he won't fight the three of us at the same time and we will use his cowardice to corner him-"

"'Three of us', Megatron?" inquired Thundercracker. Megatron would have sent him an evil glare if he could in his jet form. He hated when his soldiers interrupted his speeches and it seemed his blue flier and not Starscream was due to some 'lecturing'.

"Yes, _three_ of us. It is quite clear that none of you have noticed the distinct radiation coming from Starscream's direction other that his own." The three aerial cons refocused their sensors sheepishly and then gasped.

"It feels like-!"

"Thundercracker. You and Ravage are to retrieve it. The rest of use will go after Starscream." Reluctantly, the blue jet glided underneath Blackout's chassis. The cat-like mech was ejected, similarly to Skorponok at the human base some time ago, and landed gracefully onto Thundercracker's frame, which enveloped him so that the smaller Decepticon would not fall off. Silently, the jet broke away from his team and zoomed off to his destination.

Megatron's speed increased, Blackout having trouble keeping up, while Skywarp wasn't even trying to go fast. They lowered their altitude and as soon as they broke through the thick clouds they located their fleeing target.

"You know what to do, just make sure his spark chamber isn't damaged," reminded Megatron letting his soldiers do the dirty job. Skywarp laughed maniacally and dove sharply, descending like a hawk on its prey.

--

Starscream felt the attacker, before his receptors picked up the roar of the engines, as his trine mate got on his tail. There was no mech capable of matching him in speed on Cybertron or Earth, he knew that, but dealing with Skywarp was somewhat more difficult. The black jet opened fire and Starscream felt his armor denting. This was the favorite tactic of the annoying Seeker: to give chase, intimidate and put the target off their stride only to ambush them from a chosen position ahead when they were too focused on losing him. But he knew it too well to get tricked; instead of maneuvering to get him off his tail, he continued to increase his speed even more, giving the Allspark a real test run. It seemed cooperative at this moment and supplied his engines with what seemed to be unlimited power allowing him to go faster than ever before. Perhaps Skywarp could appear anywhere in front of him to try and intercept or shoot him, but he would be unable to even react before Starscream passed him like a blur.

Megatron watched his second straining his afterburners and streaking across the sky, rapidly turning into a little dot on the horizon. So the Allspark did enhance his speed, making him quite impossible to catch, even with Skywarp's abilities, he mussed. Launching missiles after him would also be futile, out chasing them would not be a problem to his swift Air Commander; he had seen him done it so many times on Cybertron, and that was without the boost from the Cube's power.

_Time for plan 'B'_, he thought as he slowed and dropped down to the field that stretched to the horizon. The chase didn't last long; Megatron could see he would not succeed by pursuit – he would have to make Starscream come to him.

"Skywarp, Blackout, fall back. You can't catch him that way."

"But Megatron, I still haven't-!" tried to argue Skywarp, his pride as a Seeker hurt yet again by Starscream's incredible performance.

"Fall back, Skywarp, no discussion!"

The chopper-shaped con, who wasn't far ahead of Megatron, unable to keep up with the jets' speed, landed heavily at his master's feet, bowing his head in a defeated manner.

"Forgive me, master, I have failed you."

"That was quite expected," grumbled Skywarp as he teleported right beside Blackout, earning a glare from him. "You'd be no match for his speed, even if he was dilly-dallying. I don't know why Megatron took you with us, you're useless!"

Blackout was about to blow a fuse but Megatron silenced them both with his fusion cannon shooting between their feet, sending the mechs flying from the force of the blast.

"Silence!!" he bellowed. "I will not have you glitches behaving like spoiled brats. You both have failed and both of you will shut up, or my next shot won't miss!" The two aerial cons picked themselves up warily, exchanging hostile glances but kept quiet. "Now, Skywarp, get ready to teleport us to Starscream when I give the order. Soundwave will give you the coordinates when the moment is right."

"But he…" he began to protest – even if he did warp, Starscream would have no difficulty in leaving them in his exhaust fumes, but seeing Megatron's eyes flash dangerously at him, he shut his mouth again and nodded. The silver mech growled and then found the frequency on where he could communicate with his second in command.

"Soundwave, monitor his movement, tell me when he stops," he said to the orbiting Decepticon and then shut down his link with his soldiers so they could not listen in. "Starscream," Megatron sent across the line. "We need to talk."

--

The deep and surprisingly calm voice of his _ex_-leader disturbed him, when he received the private message. It was never a good sign when Megatron was acting nice… He kept speeding in the general direction west; at the moment it was the only thing he felt was safe. He had learned eons ago that you could never be careful enough when dealing with the Decepticon leader. "What do you want, Megatron?" he snapped, trying to sound confident rather than confused. "It's rather rude to first chase me then try to act all friendly. I'm not falling for that!"

"My dear Starscream, I think you realize I'm past caring for such a pointless detail as good manners where you are concerned. It is you who went against me first, as usual, and now I must do something about it. Those are the rules of the game we play, don't you agree?"

Starscream shook with rage, his altitude dropping violently. "I'm not playing any slagging games with you, Megatron!! I'm serious this time, I told you at the dam. But you didn't listen!" he spat, his engines whirring angrily. "I'll make you pay for ignoring me again, I'm not giving up the Allspark!"

Megatron smirked, shaking his head. "And here I thought you wanted to destroy it? Didn't you say it yourself that as long as it exists the Fallen will not stop at nothing until it belongs to him? I don't see you destroying your merged sparks to make that ambition fulfilled, or is your rebellion only words and unworthy of sacrifice?"

The silver mech hoped it would sting and unnerve his Seeker but the fury and craze he heard in Starscream's reply surprised him. "And give up on this power that can finally make a change around here!? Don't take me for a fool, Megatron! I've lived too long in your shadow to pass on this opportunity to finally make you see beyond self-minded dictatorship!"

"But it is _you_ who doesn't see how foolish your plan is," Megatron stated calmly. "If you, _we_ do not destroy it, the Fallen will keep on chasing you. Why do you think I'm here, talking to you right now? It's because he wants you dead. He ordered me to kill you."

An uncomfortable silence passed between them, Megatron realizing he revealed a part of his secret to Starscream, but decided it had to be done to achieve his goal – Starscream had to trust him, at least for a moment.

"And since when do you take orders from _him_, _mighty_ leader?" Starscream's voice was filled with venom. Suddenly something became crystal clear and he trembled from a burst of fierce emotion. "You made me become that psychopath's doormat when you left because you were one before that, didn't you!? Y-you… cowardly…piece of… scrap!!"

--

Megatron growled with satisfaction as Soundwave sent him the message that Starscream had slowed his pace. This was it.

Nodding to Skywarp, the three Decepticons were pulled into the space bridge and momentarily appeared just above Starscream, who was hanging in mid-air, and grabbing hold of him, pulled him down to earth. The surprised Seeker could only yelp as he hit the rocky surface of a mountain slope hard, the weigh of his assailants pinning him to the ground.

"Get off of me!!" he screeched so shrilly that no human ear could have withstood the pitch. Even the Decepticons' audio receptors weren't dealing with the sound too well which gave Starscream a moment he needed to free himself. Focusing his processor on controlling the Allspark, he boosted his engines and strained his joints to throw the mechs off. In an instant the three were scattered among the rocks. Starscream wasted no time, he had to flee again but Skywarp's reflexes were sharp this time. He teleported himself again, this time behind his standing trine mate and grabbed a hold of his wings, driving his claws into the metal.

"You're not that fast, Screamer," he mocked, satisfied with the whine of rage coming from the captured mech. "Blackout, hurry the slag up!"

The chopper jumped to his feet and like a rugby player, rammed into Starscream's chest, sending the two struggling jets back into the rocky wall, both of them grunting in pain at the impact. "That's for your mockery, Skywarp. Now hold him still so I can teach him some manners."

"You forget who you're dealing with!" shouted Starscream, kicking his clawed feet up and thrusting them at Blackout's chest, pushing the con away, energon leaking from the holes he made. "I… am… _invincible_!!" he raged, spurring himself into a fighting frenzy. He ignited his foot thrusters, driving Skywarp into the wall, shaking himself free of his clutches. At the same time he extended both of his arms, which transformed into a machine gun and a rocket launcher, and gave his all to keep Blackout from getting up, preferably ever. The chopper con staggered under the assault of many rounds and missiles, his heavy armor tearing, his more vulnerable parts exposed to the rain of fire. He dropped down behind a boulder, his battle systems badly damaged and energon leaking from his chest, trying to avoid his systems from shutting down.

Skywarp wasn't doing so well either, his grip on his victim's wings was beginning to loosen while his own wings were mercilessly pummeled into the old, unyielding stone. When Starscream felt the black claws release him completely, he spun around, freeing himself and sending Skywarp to the ground. Stepping on his back, he kicked himself into the air and sent a few blasts at the black jet's lying frame.

Megatron was waiting for that moment. The powerful shot from his fusion cannon to the Seeker's lower back sent him smoking down against the wall again, the violent force stunning him for a moment long enough for Megatron to transform into his jet mode and crash into the smaller mech.

Perhaps Skywarp didn't dare to perform this cruel deed because he knew what it felt like, but Megatron, not being created a flier, but modified later on, did not have any trouble with this task: without a second thought, he tugged at his second's wings with all his might, ripping the metal and tearing the cables, making Starscream live up to his name as his screams reverberated among the stone walls and valleys.

"Megatron!!!" he wailed, kicking his feet and clawing at the mountain slope, snarling like a wild beast but unable to free himself. The pain was incredible, sending tremors through his whole frame as the silver mech threw his prized wings away, snorting, his superior smirk dark.

"Now, you will stay still and listen to what I have to say," ordered Megatron sternly, holding Starscream down; he really did _not_ want to play at the moment. The Seeker growled.

"Go to the pits, you coward!!" He felt a pain in his spark and a shudder tossing his whole body, and then the metal plates on his back began to move on their own accord. The sudden transformation caught Megatron off guard and before he could determine the nature of the change, he was blasted away by two small cannons that formed between Starscream's engines. The force was strong enough to send the bigger mech tumbling down the slope, past the rock formation where Blackout was tending to his wounds. He used his claws to stop from falling down a cliff then hoisted himself up back on his feet, determined to put an end to this tiresome scuffle.

But instead of a mocking laugh he was expecting to hear, Starscream whined sharply as his new cannons started changing more into what looked like unformed wings, pulling at his back plates and ripping material from the Seeker's more delicate inner parts, splashing everything around with energon. Skywarp, whose back was smoking from the earlier assault, was picking himself up, slowly, painfully. He heard his trine mate writhing in agony nearby, which he felt like doing too – his own wings were busted! But… at least he still had them. Standing, he pointed his cannons at Starscream warily and took a peek at what was left of his pride and joy, his most treasured feature, his freedom. He could not imagine something this horrible being done to him, he knew what the damaged mech had to be feeling, and he would never want to trade places with him. A selfish despot or not, it was better to always stay on Megatron's good side and he would shoot himself before he tried to pull stunts like his crazy mate.

Slowly and cautiously, Starscream's oppressors closed in on him, not exactly sure what was going on. Their prey seemed no more dangerous than one of the hatchlings; moans of pain coming from his broken body, shaking furiously among the rubble. The mechs didn't lower their weapons however. Although they'd never suspect the Seeker to go so low with his tricks, they could not trust him enough to leave themselves unprotected.

"What's… happe-ing to m-me??" rasped Starscream, unable to control the shaking. Megatron peered at his flier, deep in thought. If the Allspark had reacted to his assault like this, would it… could it perhaps transform a mech to enhance his power? Or cause their structure to deteriorate and kill it, like Prime had hoped? Could the power Starscream now possessed be… transferred to others?

An idea was born in his processor, something he never had contemplated. But before he had a moment to put his thoughts together, Blackout stepped up to the traitor and pointed his arm gun at his head. "Let me finish that for you, master," he purred.

Time stopped for a nanosecond; Starscream lifting his head, despair and fear in his red eyes, Blackout's triumphant sneer as his ambition to erase the hated second in command was about to become reality and Megatron, a moment too slow to slap his soldier's arm away before the blast shattered Starscream's helmet, obliterating the flier; taking him away from his side forever.

His helpless shout was drowned in the deafening echo spreading among the mountain peaks, accompanied by the clinking of metal pieces scattered on the ground.

**--**

A/N: Um... sorry for this xD But i couldn't let Screamer's plan succeed... it wouldn't be right ;x Hope this doesn't make you guys Hulk Smash the screen or something. I promise, it's gonna be ok! For some mechs at least... HOHOHO! Stay tuned!


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination.

A/N: Oh oh, i so wanted to write and update this chapter fast o.o Hope i didn't leave too many typos..ahaha...  
As always, thanks for reviews, made me go aww + thanks for staying with me after that mean thing i did to our fav seeker, you get cookies! :D But as i promised it was gonna be ok, here's the next chap! Hope you enjoy!

--

**Chapter VII**

The moment Thundercracker and Ravage left the group of pursuers and were far enough to not be heard, the jet con sighed heavily to himself, earning an annoyed growl from his smaller companion.

"Just don't start with your whining again, we're on a mission for Megatron. Why are you upset again!?" said the jaguar-shaped mech, vexed. They were finally doing something sensible, something purposeful and he did not want it spoiled by the big complainer. "Don't tell me you'd rather be stuck with the Fallen up on that wreck."

"I wasn't going to say anything about the mission. For your information I'm very glad to be out and in action. And as for the Fallen I've had enough of him, or what's left of his 'games', thank you." Ravage waited for the inevitable continuation in silence. Thundercracker mumbled under his breath then, annoyed, admitted: "But I'd rather be there, with Skywarp. And Megatron, fighting. Not on another boring search mission…"

Ravage's internal systems rumbled in what was almost like a purr. "Oh, with Skywarp. Of course, you'd rather be with your _mate_, having fun, than with boring old me, doing Megatron's bidding. Why am I not surprised?"

"And what's that supposed to mean?" TC was growing impatient and tired, if this was another of Ravage's usual taunts…

"I don't know? Why don't you tell me about your little bond with him?"

…It was. Thundercracker spun violently, giving the pesky mech a processor-churning ride of his life. When he thought Ravage had enough, he straightened his flight and, trying to sound as mature and composed, opposite to his stunt, he whirred his engines matter-of-factly. "No amount of energon would ever make me want to be close to him in that way."

"But you _are_ always together, admit it!"

"We are," the jet admitted patiently. "…Because we are _trine_ mates. Who else am I going to spend time with? The coneheads?" Oh no, that would be horrible.

"You never hang out so much with Starscream though, and he's in your trine," observed the small mech, narrowing his single pupil.

"Well," Thundercracker paused, trying to find inoffensive words. After all, Ravage was known to be his maker's pet and everyone knew all information Ravage acquired went straight to Soundwave. And that was like telling the leader, at the present moment Megatron, what you thought about this or that, and the jet did not want to give the silver mech any reasons for punishment. "You know Starscream…" Thundercracker hung his voice, hopeful to end this chat as harmlessly as possible. "He can be… difficult."

"And sulky," added Ravage, surprising the jet. "What? Don't tell me you haven't noticed."

"No, I did. But, you know, being in his position…"

"Yeah…" The two mechs grew silent, letting the engine roar fill their receptors as each contemplated their fellow Decepticon's fate. Starscream might had been an annoying backstabber in the past on Cybertron but he did do well in Megatron's absence. Surviving the Fallen's mockery and dangerous mood swings, when their makeshift leader summoned the flier to him was a feat in itself, Thundercracker knew best. After all, not many mechs came out of the monster's chambers alive or in one piece. Starscream was able to stand up to the tyrant and keep as many of his troops out of his reach as possible, having persuaded the ancient to leave handling his minions to him. Of course that concerned only those who stayed on the quick-tempered mech's good side, otherwise he would not worry about letting the Fallen deal out the punishment on his own. Thundercracker had to admit; Starscream was not a popular commander, being regarded as the Fallen's lapdog, venting his frustrations on whoever might have got out of the line, even slightly. It had to be stressful; the blue jet almost felt pity for his trine mate and was not really surprised to see him spending less and less time among his soldiers and, as Ravage just said, sulk.

"And besides," TC added, trying to lift the solemn mood a little. "He is kind of exclusive… Even with Megatron gone for all these years, no mech would really want to get too friendly with Screamer."

Ravage was about to comment but they were closing in on their destination, he had to prepare for the jump – they could get back on the interesting topic after they got the item.

--

"What in the friggin' hell was that!? Sam, are you listening to me!? It was one of those aliens, wasn't it? What the hell was it doing in my garden!? Sam??" Judy was raging. Sam was both glad at Bumblebee leaving without him and hated him for it; it was good that he was there to bring his screaming mother back inside, Starscream having caused enough panic in the neighborhood, but now having to stay locked inside with her in this state was rapidly driving him nuts.

"Mom! Chill!" he snapped finally. Not only was his room ruined and his best friend off to fight the zombie jet, but he had to call Mikaela and cancel the trip, which depressed him even further. "Seriously, stop freaking out, ok? I don't know why he came or what he wanted in my room-" He stopped, suddenly realizing he had forgotten about the most important thing. "Be right back!"

"Samuel Witwicky, you will come back right this instant!" Judy yelled after her son, who was climbing the stairs in record time, completely ignoring her frantic screams. "I'm not done with you yet, mister!"

Reaching his room, or what was left of it after the huge Decepticon raided it, he was devastated to see it completely in shambles. Everything was ruined! His PC and his TV were in pieces on the floor, same with all his books and magazines, including the secret stash he kept in his black box, Mojo's and his beds were no more and all the things he ever cherished were destroyed. He glanced at his closet door. _Maybe not everything_, he sighed as he pulled out his battered "warrior's" sweatshirt, staring at the one treasure that had survived the break-in, feeling utterly miserable. What was Starscream looking for in his room? He had no answers aside from himself, which probably was a good hunch since it was Sam who had killed the flier, albeit not for long. He was after revenge and the boy really had no clue how he was going to explain himself to his parents this time.

Suddenly he heard a crash downstairs and his mother's screaming, again, and all he could make up was… 'jaguar'? He turned to run back down but before he reached his door a huge cat-like mech appeared, baring his metal fangs at him, looking him up and down with one enormous eye. It snarled, or what was the Decepticon's equivalent of the sound, and jumped on him, his sharp claws landing on the sides of Sam's head, his fangs snapping and a diesely smell coming from his muzzle.

"Oh my God! Oh my God! What do you want!?" he panicked, trying to wriggle himself free from under the massive metallic body but to no avail. Judy appeared in the doorway, armed in her faithful baseball bat, intent on saving her first-born. She whacked the alien feline on the butt as hard as she could but all she managed was to break her weapon. With an annoyed glance, the mech slammed the door in her face using his tail and continued to scan the room.

"Ravage, I have spotted Prime and the others approaching the house. Have you located the source yet?" Thundercracker sounded impatient. Probably impatient to flee and not fight, Ravage assumed. Those jets were all talk but no fight when they didn't have enough back-up, unlike his 'brothers' Frenzy and Rumble. _Primus I'm starting to miss them, and that's never a good sign._

"Hold on!" he growled through the link as his display finally pinpointed the source. He looked down at the boy, making him start his pathetic yelps again. There it was!

"Oh God, no!! Bad kitty!!" screamed Sam as Ravage opened his mouth to bite his head off. Instead of dying right there and then though, the sweatshirt was pulled out of his arms and in a whirr of metal pieces clanking, the monster-cat jumped out of the window and into the ruined garden, Sam's prized possession in the beast's jaws. "Hey, stop!!"

"Object retrieved, heading south. Ready for pick-up," he sent as he jogged down the lane, jumping on car hoods just for the sake of destroying them. Soundwave would have scolded him for acting immature, but at this moment Ravage didn't care much. He was stuck on the dead ship far too long, not being able to create mayhem and destroy anything to be able to resist this little exercise. Ah, it felt good to be online!

"Understood, but be careful, Autobots are almost there."

Right as Ravage received the warning, he heard a familiar roar behind him as a huge pickup and even larger truck sped down the road. The small mech knew he stood no chance against the larger cannons but he was quick and agile and unlike the Autobots he did not care about the humans and their fragile dwellings. With a graceful leap, he was inside a garden, startling a sunbathing girl, zooming past her like a black lightning. Forcing his way through the estates left his pursuers confused and unable to locate him, forced to circle about the area from the outside. It allowed him to sneak back the way he came from and climb on the highest rooftop unnoticed. Sending his exact coordinates, he waited and soon the air was pierced with a earsplitting sound as Thundercracker swooped down to intercept his accomplice and with a final burs of flames from his engines, shot up in the air and disappeared.

"Wait till Megatron hears about this," Ravage rumbled excitedly, his energon still boiling from the pursue. "It looks like it's a shard from the Allspark!"

"It must be, I can feel it radiating too. Can you contact Megatron, by the way? I can't seem to get on his frequency." After a moment Ravage growled.

"It's no use, you don't think…?"

"Negative." Soundwave's drone resonated in their receptors, reading his creation's mind. "Megatron – functional. However, mood – dreadful. Communication – not advised. Fall back and rendezvous with Barricade."

The two were left silent, alarms going off in their processors. "Do you think…?"

"It's about Starscream? Definitely. Whatever he did, it's going to end like always."

"You mean Megatron going berserk on his aft?" Ravage suggested, hopefully.

"I was thinking more of going berserk on everyone else's, while Starscream got his fixed. Just… this time there wouldn't be any fixing."

"Hopefully the Shard will be enough to subdue his mood then."

Thundercracker had a feeling it would not.

--

"Sam, are you alright?" asked Ratchet, having parked on the ruined grass, much to Judy's dismay, still in his ambulance disguise.

"Yeah, he didn't hurt me. Strangely. I thought they were out to get me but all that cat-thing did was steal my sweatshirt. You don't suppose Megatron would want it as a souvenir?"

Ratchet failed to see any humor in the joke, which was pretty lame, decided Sam after a moment thought. "Megatron usually kept the heads of my fellow Autobots as, what u called, souvenirs," he said grimly, making Sam feel like an idiot. "Thankfully he did not decide to include you into his collection. For that I am truly glad. This war has taken more of our friends, than I'd like to remember. Whatever Ravage was sent to steal, he seems to have succeeded. Was there anything significant about that piece of clothing?"

"It was my warrior's shirt! I mean, the one I wore in Mission City," explained Sam, a little embarrassed at his pet name for the garment. He was no warrior in comparison to the Autobots or the soldiers who helped them, even if Optimus and Bumblebee both complimented his bravery.

"Hmm," Ratchet seemed to think hard. "Perhaps some of the Allspark's radiation was still present on it. I will check my scanners although I might not reach it now. Thundercracker, who assisted Ravage, is almost as fast as Starscream. If it was his objective, he will be beyond my radar by now."

"Try anyway!" encouraged Sam but as Ratchet had foreseen, it was no use.

"I will tell Optimus about it and perhaps your army will assist us in tracking down the signal. But for now, we need to go get Bumblebee. It seems he was damaged in his fight against Starscream."

"Oh no," moaned Sam as he jumped onto the driver's seat when Ratchet opened his door. "Let's go before mom notices I'm not here, cleaning up this mess."

--

"You imbecile!!" bellowed Megatron, as he hit Blackout's face plates with the back of his clawed hand, sending the mech down the slope. He followed the falling frame and before the chopper con could react or start to protest he had him in a steel grip with his feet dangling above ground. The claws closed around his neck mercilessly while his other arm was transforming into his deadly cannon. "Did I tell you to kill him!? I said wound, not blow his processor away!!"

"But Megatron," Blackout gasped, stunned both with the force and strangeness of his leader's assault. He's done a good thing, why was Megatron punishing for doing the dirty job for him? "He was a threat."

"I didn't tell you to think, just follow my orders! And since you chose to ignore this one, I will have to deal out severe punishment. Right now."

--

Shaking rubble off his frame, Skywarp was surprised to see Megatron going after Blackout, obviously furious. He didn't expect his leader to congratulate the overenthusiastic con, but smashing his head was a weird way of saying 'good job', even for Megatron.

Standing up he looked at the ruined body of his mate. It seemed their leader did manage to save his second in command; Blackout's shot pierced his plating just next to his head, destroying the whole left shoulder, one of his back engines and the new wing base. It was a real mess; the gaping hole left from a shot from that proximity was most likely fatal unless it was tended to immediately, and Skywarp didn't think Starscream was going to be lucky this time. With a small laugh, he delivered a sharp kick in the flier's mid section; no Decepticon would ever feel bad about hitting the fallen, and he had an unfinished revenge. He wanted it to be more remarkable and demeaning for his ex-trine leader but he would have to make do with this ignoble deed.

"Hah, you would've liked to see this, Screamer," he said to the unmoving mech, as he crouched by him to examine the wound closer. "Old Megs trashing that loser because of you. I've never seen him this fragged just because someone went out of line, I'd feel touched if I were you," he laughed with a raspy voice, smacking Starscream's helmet not too gently. All of a sudden a clawed hand shot out to him, grabbing his leg, making Skywarp fall back on his aft in panic.

"Meg-kshhhk-nn-zzz," came out from the carcass. His voice was weak and unclear but enough for the black Seeker to know it was more than what his state should allow him. He should be offline, or at least most of his processor activities should, unable to communicate, waiting in stasis for permanent shutdown or a miraculous rescue. If he was strong enough to speak then it had to do with his spark.

"Megatron!" Skywarp called, but not before he saw his leader blow one of Blackout's arms off. That piece of scrap deserved it. "It's Starscream! He's still online."

With a rush of silver metal, Megatron was back at his flier's side. Skywarp turned Starscream over at his command and they both saw the mech's piercing red eyes sparkling faintly, unfocused and, they guessed, blind. Energon covered his chest and helmet, but his claws and feet twitched, which was quite unnatural, at least for a mech with a finite source of energy. It seemed however that the Allspark was capable of supporting Starscream's systems, even if it reduced the proud flier to this writhing mass of metal on the ground.

"Skywarp," he addressed the Seeker without moving his gaze from the ruined body of his second.

"Sir?"

"Take Blackout to the rendezvous point. I will deal with this myself."

Skywarp, dismayed by having to approach the chopper, and actually very curious about Starscream's current state couldn't help but protest. "Are you sure it's safe?"

A silver cannon was pointed at his chest, ready to blast the black jet's armor. "Now," seethed Megatron.

Seeing objections would get him nowhere other than Pit, Skywarp stumbled over to Blackout, who was currently crawling down the rocky path to retrieve his arm and, grabbing him violently, teleported to the Grand Canyon base without another word.

Watching the fallen mech all the time, Megatron noticed the plates covering his spark chamber were slightly rippled. He bent over him cautiously, watching for any movement, conscious or not, and carefully pushed the covers aside revealing a very vibrant, scorching core. He winced at the sight; the Allspark had melted the surrounding components, which were normally used to carry the energy out from the chamber to distribute all over a mech's body. How the Cube was doing it in Starscream's case, he did not know, but seeing the state of his insides, he did not think his Air Commander should be treated as a normal mech any longer. It seemed the Allspark had taken control over each process in his body, keeping him alive in its own mysterious way.

Megatron considered his options; removing the artifact from his flier's body, given its clearly animated state could be hazardous. It seemed it could influence structural changes when infused on a deep level as in Starscream's case, but he could not be sure if it would not act alike when simply touched. He could not risk impairing his leadership and combat abilities by submitting to such transformations and from what he had witnessed so far, it did not seem possible to control the willful Cube easily.

This was not, however, the only another reason why he would discard this option.

"Mega-ksszz-" came a troubled whine, Starscream's body still shaking. Focusing his gaze on his Seeker's eyes he saw them dim to and even dull glow. He wondered if his visual systems were returning back to normal.

"Shut up, fool. You need to get your act together. Focus," he encouraged, watching him harshly, as the claws closed into fists, cables straining to keep his limbs still. "I'm not through with you yet, Starscream. You won't slip out of my grasp so easily."

He motioned to close the spark chamber when his second grabbed his hand and with a last involuntary spasm, pulled with rejuvenated force.

The instant his claws came into contact with the Allspark, Megatron's display distorted and filled with the same ancient symbols which infested Starscream's processor, infusing the silver mech with the data hidden deep inside the artifact. Immediately jerking his arm away, Megatron broke the connection and fell back, feeling slightly dazed. His system seemed undisturbed by the strange phenomenon but he found some new information burned into his database. He would have to check it out, but first he had to take care of the immediate threat.

"Megatron!!" growled Starscream, his spark having returned to his normal state, probably due to the short moment when it unloaded itself onto Megatron's circuitry. That did not, however change the fact that the angry flier was very badly wounded and hardly could operate his left side. "I'll kill you for this!! Mark my words!! You will pay!!"

"Oh, I don't think you're capable of that at the moment," Megatron rumbled, his composed act back together and taunting the Seeker, as usual. Although he was moments away from ripping Blackout's spark out for shooting Starscream, he would not let him get a hold of this information for the time being. Letting him know he cared was unacceptable. "Sorry to say this, but you are at my mercy, yet again, but this time I might find your death to be the better alternative. In your current state, you are a danger to all who come near you, not to mention to yourself, wouldn't you agree?"

The flier started to struggle to lift himself up, his body still not entirely under his control. He was stopped by a firmly placed foot on his chest, pressing him back to the ground, although not too forcefully. "Don't move, it will be easier for the both of us."

"Go to the Pit, you damn coward! I should have known!" Starscream raged, powerless against Megatron's hold. "It was so obvious! You were losing your grip! You were frustrated without a reason, you were more irritable, you punished soldiers on whim!" he spat furiously, tossing his righteous accusations in Megatron's face, the frustration from another failure only fueling his rage. "You tortured me because you felt insecure!!! I'll never forgive you! Never, you hear me!! I'll bring you down even if it's the last thing I do!!"

"Mention that again," Megatron barked, pushing his fusion cannon under Starscream's chin, making sure his shot would disconnect his head from the rest of the body, silencing the insolent fool forever. "…And I might seal your fate sooner than you think."

"Give me back my wings, you slagger!!" the flier wailed, the intensity of his gaze burning with raw emotion. "If you want to kill me, _do it_!! Take everything from me, like you did with my glory and my devotion, but I will not allow you to take away the only thing that ever mattered in my apparently insignificant life!" His voice broke. Energon was leaking from his mouth but he spat it out angrily, bitter anguish taking over reason. "If I go I will go as your second in command, as the Air Commander of the Decepticon Army, as the fastest flier on Cybertron! So," he clawed at Megatron's feet tracks, trying to put pressure on his demand, making sure he had Megatron's full attention. While his claws dug hard, his voice sounded weak in comparison. Weak, small and filled with urgent need to be heard. "Don't rob me of my only pride and return my wings. You owe it to me!!"

This was not begging, like when Starscream could no longer stand the pain of his beatings or when he was looking for forgiveness after a failed rebellion. It was not one of his selfish whims Megatron had to listen to endlessly on Cybertron. This was a soldier's plea for a last and, in his case, the only recognition he'd ever get; for giving him the deserved credit when his time was up and he was no longer needed.

Megatron gazed at the broken mech under his feet, not recognizing his second in command, or perhaps finally seeing a sliver of his true self that has been hidden under his deceptive guise all along. Was this how Starscream really thought of him? As someone who had stolen everything from him and never gave anything in return? "Insignificant life…" he finally spoke, his tone unusually soft and thoughtful. This wasn't right; it was not how things were. Didn't Starscream understand? "How could I think of you as someone insignificant when _I_ made you what you are today? I made you my second-"

"You made me into this!" the Seeker interrupted, motioning with his claws at himself, his body ruined, his spark mutated and uncontrollable. "Everything…" he struggled to keep his tone composed, but failed. "_Everything_ I am… everything I ever did was for you, because of you! You gave me purpose! Got me out of that wretched, boring existence and showed me a path! Of all the soldiers you had, I was the most loyal to you! I would have done anything; killed even Primus himself if that was your command! But you never cared for any of that, did you!?" His voice broke, fiery emotions and physical pain finally taking their toll on the flier, as he howled in defeat. There, Megatron now knew the truth, all he had to do now was shoot that cannon of his and end the shameful display. "What are you waiting for? Finish this. Just give me my wings back…" He sobbed almost inaudibly, wishing more then ever for the final, lethal strike to land. Slag his plans, slag his dreams and ambitions. It was all for nothing; he couldn't control the Allspark and he could not force his long time nemesis to see reason. _Just get this over with_, he pleaded, shutting down his visual systems.

--

Thoughts ran wildly in Megatron's processor. For the first time he did not know what he wanted to do. Starscream basically gave up and waited for his execution, hoping for his only source of pride to be returned to him. He could end this; the private war they had waged for millennia could be over and he would rid himself of all his worries about future acts of treachery. He would possess the Allspark and find a way to bring down the cursed ancient and return to glory as the invincible leader of the Decepticons to lead his troops to the final battle against the Autobots and with the Cube's power, their annihilation would be sure and swift.

Yet, with the earlier revelation and seeing the state his second was in, his spark alien to him and causing him more harm than helping him, he couldn't bring himself to kill Starscream. He remembered how once he had stood above his flier in a similar way, after an exceptionally bloody battle not long after Starscream's promotion to Air Commander, when the Autobots had somehow managed to shoot him down. He had been lying among debris for hours before Soundwave located him, and by the time Megatron arrived with Hook and Scrapper, he was on the verge of falling into statis. He had looked as pathetically as he did now, stripped of his flight capabilities, left utterly helpless. Before shutting down, Megatron let him know what a failure he was for charging in recklessly and taking such damage. He told him in front of the other Decepticons he should be demoted and how he turned out to be unfit for the position of his Air Commander. Starscream couldn't have answered yet the hurt but determined look he had given Megatron, had intrigued the fierce leader. There was no remorse in it, no sign of fear or pleading, just an unwavering resolve that promised great things if he was given another chance.

Megatron wasn't known to give those to mechs who did not prove themselves but opposite to the popular belief, Starscream kept his position and not long after his recovery, he got Shockwave's position as second in command, along with unflattering reputation. It was supposed to be a test to see how he would hold up against the troops' unfavorable comments and pressure coming from his new responsibilities but for a mech as young and previously not combat-trained, he did excellent, proving his outstanding talents to everyone, much to Megatron's glee. For Starscream wasn't the only one who got to hear criticism. The leader however dealt with the complainers in a much stricter way. Many have thought it was favoritism and even dared to suspect Megatron of using Starscream in exchange for position, but as soon as the arrogant Seeker started voicing his opinions, the silver triple-changer found a way to silence the gossips along with the offending young mech. Nobody mentioned Starscream being his pet again, after he sent him to the repair bay for a couple of days of intense mending and no one ever thought it could have been a cover up; no mech, not even 'Screamer', as they began calling him after hearing him during the punishment sessions, was crazy enough to consent to such serious manhandling.

Was it then, when Megatron noticed he had a hold over his Seeker, unlike with any of his soldiers? He thought it had to do with Starscream's stubbornness and hunger for power, him holding onto his position no matter how cruel and intimidating Megatron got and not cowering from the extra unpleasant aspect of being so close to the position of the leader. He was sure Starscream was not suicidal, although his taunts directed at the silver mech could have indicated otherwise, and definitely not crazy, as his swift and cold calculating was what had made him such a great commander and ruthless fighter.

Megatron never imagined it could have been something as simple as devotion to the cause that drove the Seeker. He did not want to think it was devotion to himself; that was an unsettling thought, even concerning the peculiar flier. Especially if he took into consideration the numerous acts of treason he had withstood; knowing his true reasons would imply that Starscream's attacks were personal, and not concerning his leadership. Megatron wasn't sure if he was ready to consider such an eye-opener but perhaps it was the only thing he was left to do in the current situation. Right now, however, he had more pressing matters to worry about, them being Starscream's condition and the Fallen's orders.

"Soundwave, send for the Constructicons, I need them here," he told his communications officer, out loud, so that the Seeker on the ground could hear. Confused by Megatron's hesitation and now his orders, Starscream was left to lie there, anxiously awaiting the outcome of this turn of events. "If the Fallen asks what for, tell him Blackout has been gravely wounded by Prime and I need him to be functional if I am to carry out the mission."

"Yes, Megatron," the orbiting mech replied, allowing only the leader to receive his message and sent the request over to Nemesis. "Update on Thundercracker's mission – successful. Source of energy – a shard of the Allspark. Autobots – considering the possibility of lingering Allspark radiation as the reason for our investigation."

"Excellent," praised the silver mech then glancing at Starscream, said, "If you abandon your current plan to overthrow me using the Allspark's power and come with me, I will allow you to live and fix you."

"And how do you know I won't kill you once I've recovered my strength?" the flier spat angrily, but it was a painfully obvious half-hearted attempt to intimidate his leader. Megatron regarded him sternly, yet he couldn't help feeling relieved that even after such a critical spark malfunction, the Seeker remained his old, unbearable self.

"I believe you've had enough of the Allspark going haywire on you, wouldn't you agree? Besides, if you force me, I will bring you before the Fallen and let him have his way with you and I think we both know that's rather disadvantageous to our cause."

Starscream glared at him but he knew there was no real alternative. He nodded, giving Megatron his best hateful look and when the heavy foot released him, he slowly pulled himself up but remained seated. Energon seeped from the hole in his shoulder and even if the Allspark handled his support systems, it did not prevent him from feeling pain. Wincing, he leaned on a boulder to rest and was surprised when suddenly his wings were placed in his lap, Megatron fulfilling his wish. They exchanged a long look, Starscream searching for hidden mockery, but not finding it and Megatron watching his reaction, the embarrassment and bewilderment apparent in his features. It pleased the silver mech, but not like when he used to humiliate the flier; when seeing him confused and scared filled him with cruel satisfaction. He felt… good, somehow rewarded for granting his Seeker his wish. "I don't think I've relieved you of your duty as my Air Commander yet, Starscream," he purred, leaving the Seeker speechless, which was near to impossible in itself. "I told you, I'm not done with you yet. I want to see more of your… devotion."

Forcing down a curse, Starscream seethed quietly, his systems strained from the fight and wounds. He would let Megatron hear a thing or two later, when he got fixed and the slagger was in for an earful. But for now he wanted to shut down his receptors and offline for a while. He was relatively safe; if Megatron wanted to kill him, he'd already be a pile of scrap, so he drifted to an uneasy stasis, the ancient symbols flashing now and then.

As he recharged, he did not feel the claws of his trine mates lifting him up, didn't hear Skywarp complaining about helping him out and Thundercracker scolding him for it, nor did he hear Megatron's order to be careful with him. They left the battered mountain slope with a flash, as the black jet teleported them back to the Grand Canyon, where Megatron made sure his other faithful, yet blindly passionate follower got the reward he deserved. Yes, telling the Fallen that Blackout needed serious and immediate help was not going to be a lie.

--

A/N: You may not have noticed, but i do like Blackout alot :D His 1st scene in 2007 movie was amazing, so if there are any BO lovers out there reading, fear not! I love the Decepties and not planning to kill any of them (maybe except the one who deserves it...), sadly unlike mr. Bay ._. Anyway, stay tuned!


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination.

A/N: It's back! *_* First of all I need to apologize for the delay, maaaaany things chose to go wrong lately but now it's all good (or better ;3) Planning to go back to fast updating, since the TF-gasm is still strong in my head and inspiration's returned. So.. I hope you haven't abandoned this fic and if you did, welcome back! *gives out cookies* Please enjoy!

Lyrics (C) Gnarles Barkley

--

**Chapter VIII**

Sam sighed. His mom was furious and already grounded him for the next week over the phone, when he finally got the courage to answer the call. It was past his curfew but he couldn't explain to her why such a trivial thing didn't matter when your house was wrecked and your best friend injured, even if he was made of metal; he still felt pain and needed supports, and not only the medical kind.

Bee's condition wasn't that bad, certainly not as bad as it was during the Mission City battle, but still, seeing his dear companion squirming under Ratchet's lasers and tools, felt horrible. Not to mention that he had to witness, for the first, and he hoped, the last time, Optimus Prime reprimanding his yellow friend. The usually levelheaded and caring mech was quite furious at Bee's insubordination, enumerating the ways he could have been killed and what would have happened if he had been captured. Bee listened to it all with a bowed head, which reminded Sam of a son being scolded by his father. It was another thing that they would share, as soon he was going to have to go through a similar ordeal at home. He shivered.

"That's all for now," said Ratchet standing back so Bumblebee could get up and stretch his wounded shoulder. The yellow bot nodded, choosing not to speak; if he could, he'd prefer to sink underground so that he wouldn't have to see the disappointment and worry in his fellow Autobots' eyes. He knew he had made the wrong decision confronting Starscream alone but he couldn't just wait and let the villain escape. And he was able to give Prime some interesting information about him, so he didn't feel totally useless.

"It seems the situation is getting out of hand," said Prime finally, calling the Autobots and Sam to his side. "Today's event was just the beginning of another onslaught, I fear. Whether Starscream operated alone or still under Megatron's orders we cannot say, but the appearance of Ravage and Thundercracker can only mean one thing: Megatron is increasing the number of his troops on Earth and while it's not the first time we had to fight outnumbered, I fear we will not be able to prevent them from any wicked ploys if we cannot obtain help from humans."

At that Ironhide snorted, earning an impatient glace from his leader. "We need their help, Ironhide, whether you like it or not," continued Optimus. "It was only with their help that we were able to defeat Brawl and survive the Decepticon assault in Mission City. And do not forget," he said, his voice warmer, turning to Sam, "I owe our friend my life."

"But Optimus, all the humans want from us now is to stay hidden and not to draw any attention," Ironhide protested; he hated staying put.

"The situation might change, after today," added Ratchet knowingly. "If they see the Decepticons are still active they should request our assistance and then we could work together to stop our mutual enemies. Perhaps Sam could assist us to convince the government?"

"What? Oh, no! I couldn't," the boy acted flattered but really was quite shocked. He? Addressing the government? That was even more farfetched than having an alien for a first car. "I'm just a kid! Who'd listen to me?"

"Ratchet may have a point. We do need someone to back us up if your side chooses to disregard this matter. We could really use your help again, Sam. After all it was your home that was attacked."

"Look Optimus…" Sam sighed again. How was he supposed to make the aliens understand that teenage boys had a very slight chance to convince politicians about something, when he had problems talking to his own parents? "I know it could be bad and I do get why you could need me. The thing is, I don't know how to help you! I don't know anything bout the army or anything, I wouldn't know what to tell them!"

The Autobots hung their heads, Ironhide smashing a nearby boulder. "Well this just proves it!"

"Ironhide," warned Prime, trying not to sound disappointed.

"But," Sam suddenly brightened up. "There is someone who maybe could help! Optimus, you said you learned our language through the Internet, so can you access it whenever you want?"

"Yes, but I don't know how that could help us."

"Ok," Sam started pacing, excited at his idea. "Ok, think you can find a database of addresses and phone numbers? Of anyone in the world?"

Ironhide perked up; finally the kid was starting to show some initiative. "Who would we be looking for?"

Sam grinned, trying to reassure himself that this plan _could_ actually work and said, "Simmons."

--

"He was rat-r mean to us last -ime we met," Bumblebee told Sam through the interior speakers as the two were heading back home. Prime and the others were following them in silence. The Autobots had agreed to contact the eccentric agent but as it was getting really late, and Sam wanted to get home. He was in so much trouble already and he owed his parents some explanation as to why half of the house was ruined and why he was gone for the better part of the evening.

"Yeah, I know, Bee, but he's also pretty crazy about you guys. In the, uh, professional way I mean. And he's a secret agent, I'm sure he'd have no problems getting some of his higher ups to help you."

"If –ou say so," murmured Bee and shut the radio off. He didn't feel like playing any music at the moment so they rode in silence, Sam buckled in the passenger seat, thinking hard about the day's events.

"Say," he began, and Bumblebee activated the speaker systems. "How many of the Decepticons are there? I mean, there was just the five of you when you arrived, so I'd guess there isn't as many of them, right?"

"There are more of them than of us. Probably twenty or so, arou-- Earth. More in the space but there Autobots out --ere as well."

"Twenty!? Damn…"

"Yes… If there was Ravage, then Soundwave, his maker must be around. If there was Thundercracker, then there must his trine mate Skywarp. Starscream is one of that trio. And if there was Frenzy, that small con who attacked you while I was fighting Barricade, then his 'twin', Rumble will surely show up. They never stay apart from each other for long."

--

The news from Megatron reached the Nemesis and shortly after the Fallen agreed to send the Constructicons to Earth. Although Megatron's requested back-up sooner than he expected, it did not collide with his own plans; in fact he could benefit from placing the cons in their position earlier. The more there were, the more the Autobots would feel outnumbered and in despair. Sooner or later Optimus Prime would fall, which would make the Fallen the only ruler of any transformers left. After all he was a Prime too and after extinguishing the ludicrous Autobot leader's spark he would be the only of the tribe of the leaders left. No con or bot alive would dare to stand up to him and then he would carry out his revenge on the pitiful humans by stealing their sun. With the collected energy he would create a new army of soldiers much more worthy of serving him Megatron's disgusting bunch.

Yes, let the fool finish the dirty job for him. If all went as planned, the Fallen would not even have to leave the Nemesis' deck to witness how the humans along with his oblivious servants perished when the planet is destroyed. His reign would begin anew, but this time there would be absolutely no one who would rise up to oppose him.

The Fallen's evil cackle sounded throughout the ship's corridors, sending shivers down every mech's circuits. The Constructicons and Rumble, who was allowed to join his twin on Earth, were quite glad to be leaving the menace behind; his good mood was as terrifying as his bad one.

--

The calm night air at the Grand Canyon was pierced by mechanical screeches so loud that Megatron ordered his fliers to look out for any nosy humans in case they decided to investigate. Luckily, the place the Decepticons hid at was remote from any human-inhabited structures and thus Blackout's punishment lasted a while, undisturbed.

Megatron did not destroy his frame completely, losing a soldier, even a willful one, in such a critical time did not calculate. He needed to learn a lesson though, so the leader told his troops to leave him alone till the Constructicons arrived, so he could think about his over eagerness. The Decepticons, creatures who rarely showed compassion even to their own, didn't have any difficulty abandoning the moaning carcass of their companion, but that did not mean they found his punishment deserved. Still, not even the rash ones like Skywarp or Barricade dared to mention this obvious injustice; they knew better not to challenge Megatron's judgment.

Preoccupied with Blackout's disciplining, the Decepticons failed to notice a weak signal coming from the east but when Megatron was done, and they adjusted their frequency, they heard a distress signal, or more like a litany of Cybertronian curses coming from Frenzy. They decided he had had to awaken after Starscream's accident at the factory but only now the little con succeeded at his attempt to communicate with his fellow warriors. The fliers and Ravage were sent to retrieve him at once, Megatron not divulging the reason for his haste to his subordinates just as he did not tell them about the curious phenomenon he experienced when touching Starscream's Allspark. Right now he was trying to decipher the ancient symbols he was sure had originated from the Fallen's times, around when Cybertron was created. He guessed they had to have something to do with the history of their race as he recognized some of the places in the visions as planets he knew to have been visited by his ancestors. There were also scenes which seemed to come from this particular planet but he could only guess they had to do something with the Harvester. Why else would the Cube carry information about the human home world?

Megatron hoped Frenzy, who also came in contact with the artifact, would be able to give him more information, some sort of clue to perhaps finding a way to destroy their nemesis. At this point however he had to wait for his troops to return and the Constructicons to arrive so he found a place to sit beside his second and shut down some of his programs to rest.

--

Agent, or rather ex-agent Simmons did not have a good week. Not only was he demoted and practically dragged out of his office when Sector Seven was disbanded, the NEST refused to hire him as the 'Specialist in the Extraterrestrial Affairs'. He was left jobless, with his greatest passion forced into boxes, and driven out to his obscure flat in New York downtown, with no prospects, no insurance, just his annoying landlord and a mute severed head of the alien invader.

Mute until a couple hours ago.

As thrilled Simmons was to have the small N.B.E. active and talking, or screaming like a slaughtered animal if he wanted to be precise, the timing of his revival was the worst possible to imagine. The horrible racket coming from his apartment was reported to the landlord by several of his annoyed neighbors and the old grumpy had visited him three times this evening already. His patience was about to evaporate the last time he checked on Simmons and the ex-agent's story about a TV set that wouldn't adjust was becoming less and less credible. The landlord threatened to call the police on him if the noise didn't stop and Simmons courteously assured him it will be done in a matter of minutes, but frankly he had no idea how to silence the creature for good. Of course there was the stun gun but that didn't do much good for long, the Frenzy head going haywire after a moment of silence. The man could not figure out why and how the alien got so energized but he really did not try that hard to comprehend; if he didn't want to spend the night over at the station, he had to find out a way to silence or hide him, fast.

But fate seemed to hate him lately and right at this moment his cell phone rang. If it was any cell phone he'd only curse his luck and curse the unfortunate person trying to call him but it was his Sector Seven cell phone. The cell phone with a classified number. The cell phone no one but his fellow agents and the government knew about. He grabbed it frantically, hoping some stuck up official reconsidered and was calling to offer him a job worthy of his expertise and zeal, to save him from the horrible boredom his life was set to be filled with.

"Simmons," he almost shouted, which was actually necessary if he wanted to be heard over Frenzy's screeches. He ran to the bathroom, shutting the door behind to muffle the noise, his heart pounding with excitement.

"Hey, agent. It's Sam. Sam Witwicky? Remember me?" sounded the hyper teen's voice, and Simmons felt his heart sink along with his whole body as he hit the cold tile floor.

--

"Hello? You there?" Sam inquired, his brows furrowed. "Are you sure it's the right number, Bee?"

"Affir-ative," the yellow camaro said through the speakers. The pair was driving to a hotel, tailing Sam's parents' car. They had to leave the house for a while for the government-paid construction workers to fix their house, but as Judy was extremely furious about the whole alien business, she demanded they get a pool and a Jacuzzi so she could skinny dip. Sam was actually saved from further scolding by his dad; Ron managed to convince his wife that the boy was a victim and as soon as that message got through, Judy burst out in tears, hugging and kissing Sam, wailing about him being assaulted and his room destroyed. Sam managed to slip from her motherly clutches and pack the few essential things he needed, or could find in the mess, and went to meet the Autobots who had Simmons number ready. Optimus and his crew left for the NEST HQ, promising to persuade the team to help them fight off the Decepticons. Sam assured he would get Simmons' help but he really wasn't that confident. After all the weird agent didn't really like him that much.

"How in the hell did you get this number!?" bellowed Simmons, after what had to be the moment of initial shock. "This.. this is classified! I could have you arrested for this, you hear me, brat!?" Sam moved the phone away from his face, the agent's voice loud enough to be heard from arm's length.

"Hey you have sources and I have sources, but never mind that, there's a problem and I need your help."

"Problem…? Problem!? You're going to have a problem when I'm done with you!" shouted Simmons. "You think I have time for your little problems? You think I'd want to help after you and your buddies lost me my job and everything?"

Sam stared at the phone, dumbstruck. "They fired you?" he asked stupidly.

"Yes, they fired me," seethed the ex-agent. "If you don't mind, I have more serious things to worry about than your prom or whatever, boy."

"No wait! This is serious, it's about Megatron! And the Allspark!"

For a moment there was silence on the line, apart from some sort of distorted sounds coming from Simmons' side and Sam waited for him to grab the bait. "N.B.E.-01 you say?"

"Yeah, and Starscream. You heard that he's still alive, didn't you?"

"Of course," grumbled Simmons, he knew about everything that concerned the alien race. "I'm not there for one second and this is what happens. Ha! And they think they can handle it all by themselves, they don't need _my_ help, nope, not at all."

"Ok, listen. He came after me and stole something that could have something to do with the Allspark. The Autobots aren't sure but they want to find out and they need help from the government but they're afraid they'll just make them sit quiet and hide so there's no national panic or whatever, ok?"

"And I care… how?"

"You care," Sam thought for a brief moment, an idea dawning on him. "Because if you convince the g-men and help Optimus fight the Decepticons, they will have to hire you back!"

"To the NEST team," added Bumblebee.

"Yeah, to the NEST team! What do you say? Hey, what's all this noise?"

"Not your business, boy. And I'll need to think about it. But right now I've got a more serious problem."

"More serious than a Decepticon attack?"

"You could say, it's as serious… what the hell!?"

Sam heard a thump as Simmons' cell phone hit the floor and more distorted screeching along with a thundering blare. He tried to call out to the agent but it was no use.

"Bee, something's wrong!"

"Decep-cons!" the yellow bot recognized the sounds of the jet engines and the growl of Ravage coming from the cell phone.

"Crap! What do we do!?"

"I'll tell Opt-us but it might be too late."

"Boy!" Simmons grabbed a hold of his phone and, panting, locked himself in the bathroom again. "I'll help you!"

"What just happened!? Are you ok?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm alive, but those sons of badly designed lawnmowers stole their friend's head from me. Do _not_ ask me how I got it in the first place, it's classified."

"So, you'll talk to the right people?"

"I will, dammit, this has become personal. But don't give this number to anyone. If the cell phone starts ringing all the time my mother will get suspicious. Simmons over and out."

"Uh, yeah, thanks. Bye. He's so weird, Bee."

"_Well I think you're crazy_," blared Bee's radio.

--

"Body! Get me my body back!" fumed Frenzy, not shutting up once since Ravage broke in to Simmons' apartment and snatched his head. Now, riding on Thundercracker, the feline-shaped con really felt like dropping his younger brother.

"Just shut up already!" Skywarp growled, annoyed. He usually didn't have anything against the hyper mech, or his twin but right now he was glad he didn't have to carry the yapping head. "One moment and we'll be at that place you told us about."

"The dam," offered Thundercracker patiently, years of hatchling duty paying off; Frenzy wasn't quite as bad as the little ones when it was feeding time.

"Yeah, well I'll be dam'd, right?" Sniggered the black jet but no one appreciated the joke. "Whatever, you bunch of losers just hang on," he sighed and in an instant there were gone.

--

It didn't take long for the jets and Ravage to retrieve the small body and after a while they were back in the Grand Canyon. To their surprise Starscream, who everyone thought would be out cold for at least a few hours, was back online and, as always, making a huge fuss.

"You!!" he pushed Barricade away, who was trying to force the flier back down. Not that the mustang Decepticon cared what Starscream did to his body. Pit! He would gladly watch him strain and tear his circuits apart but Megatron, the always thoughtful leader, had put him in charge of the capricious con until the Constructicons arrived.

Starscream stormed past him angrily and before anyone could react, he shot Skywarp square in the middle, only a bit lower than where his spark chamber was located. The impact threw Skywarp back and in an instant the trine leader was on top of him, punching and scratching like in a frenzy.

"Get him off me! He flipped!"

"You worthless pile of scrap, you think I wouldn't remember what you did to me back on the slope? That there would be no consequences?" Starscream seethed, pushing Thundercracker and Barricade away. "I am your Air Commander, you will respect me or receive punishment!"

Finally, after making sure Skywarp would need some attention from the Constructicons, he allowed the others to pull him away. He stomped away and, exhausted, slumped down to his resting spot, glaring at his subordinates.

Thundercracker pulled Skywarp up and lead him away, the black con oozing energon from the ripped armor and the blast wound. "See Ravage, I told you it would turn out like this."

The smaller mech decided not to comment; the fact that Starscream came back to base with Megatron fussing about his condition was enough to indicate that whatever conflict there had been between them was now gone and Starscream was back in Megatron's good graces. Ravage didn't really care what their leader decided, as long as he was the one calling the shots, and being in the safe position of the third in command's pet kept him relatively safe from the unstable flier's antics. He did see however how unhappy Barricade and Skywarp were to see him back on their side, which rendered them unable to carry out their personal vendettas without Megatron smashing their afts. Yes, it was not worth mentioning this strange, yet not unexpected turn of events and just let Megatron handle his favorite.

Unfortunately for everyone gathered Skywarp did not possess Ravage's reasoning programming and naturally just had to voice his opinions.

"I see the pet is back at his master's side," he spat, ignoring Thundercracker's warning glance. "We get dragged across space to chase around your sorry aft but one beating from old Megs is enough for you to crawl back to him, sniveling."

"Not another word, Skywarp, I'm warning you," growled Starscream, eyes flashing dangerously, his frame tense and ready to strike again.

"Or what? You'll kill me? You don't have the guts for it!" the black jet taunted, shrugging off his mate's restraining claws. He knew he was right and he didn't feel like keeping quiet like an obedient drone anymore. For once Starscream was going to hear what was on his mate's mind, whether it ended in flames or not.

--

The bickering caught Megatron's attention, who was farther up the canyon, trying to analyze the ancient scriptures. He knew Starscream was awake for a while now, and eventually wanted to discuss the symbols with him but for now he wanted to avoid the flier; he still wasn't sure how to handle him after the emotional confession. He did however tell his cons that the Seeker was back in his old position and that there was going to be a change in plans, but so far hadn't updated them any further. Right now he was drawn to the trine's dispute, curious to see his second handling his troops. It had been so long since he last saw Starscream in his element, his spark always burning the brightest when in conflict, whether it was a fist fight, a flying contest or an argument. Megatron had to admit that he liked seeing his second managing his soldiers; he was peremptory and had little patience for the insubordinate but most of all he looked absolutely stunning with that conceited gleam in his eyes and expression of pure confidence in his authority over all of the Decepticons.

Megatron had witnessed him in his glory many times back on Cybertron and having such a strong individual in his army, at his side, had always filled him with pride, but also with fear. Or even paranoia, one might assume, seeing how short Starscream's leash really was and how close the Decepticon leader always watched his second's moves, how his every decision was analyzed for any signs of treachery, and how he'd dish out the punishment even if there was no real offense, just a smart-mouthed remark or a secret glance directed at him that the silver leader found suspicious. While he would never admit to anyone, he did found Starscream a threat. He believed the intelligent flier could actually rise up and dethrone him if he really put his spark into it but, like with everything, Megatron could not give up on the things that could bring him gain and glory, even if having them around would put him at risk. Or maybe because they were dangerous that he was so drawn to them, he did not know, but it really made no difference. Whether he kept Starscream close for thrills or for gain, was irrelevant. What mattered was that he needed him and he would keep him, even against his own will.

He approached the two quarreling jets quietly, simply watching the magnificent display of pride with satisfaction. Seekers were known for their lofty personalities but not many could rival his trine's leader. It was beautiful display, like watching flames dancing gracefully in the hearth, then scorching anything they met on their path when finally unleashed.

A crude laugh shook him out of his reverie, Skywarp countering Starscream's fury indignantly.

"I always knew you were a coward, Screamer," the black Seeker mocked, knowing well how the discussion could end up badly for him, but simply not caring. "But this is pathetic! I thought you had more pride than this. And you know what? I'd rather go back than have you bossing me around again!"

"Better get your aft ready for another trip then, because Megatron and I have reached an agreement and whatever you may think about me doesn't change the fact that I. Am. Your. _Superior_ and you _will_ obey me," Starscream spat with venom, fuming yet extremely satisfied that he had proven his worth again. It had cost him a lot but Megatron was finally going to listen for once, finally chose to take him seriously and not dismiss his rebellion as a military coup but an honest attempt to assist his leader. His plan, although it got slightly more complicated than he had expected, had worked and he would not allow Skywarp talk trash about him and ruin his moment of triumph.

He was however exhausted; the Allspark revived him fast, but keeping his wounds in check was using most of his energy and his earlier assault had drained his reserves. All he wished for now was a moment of peace, but he just couldn't force Skywarp to shut up.

"Like pit, I will," spat the black trine mate but before he could continue his hateful tirade, a savior in the form of Megatron arrived, silencing the ranting mech with one sinister glance, thus helping the congregated Decepticons avoid a horrible processor ache.

"You will if you want to stay _out _of the pit, Skywarp," warned Megatron calmly, standing between his Seekers and thus ending their quarrel. "And that goes forall of you. Starscream was reappointed second in command and I will not hear any more of your objections about this matter unless you want to deal with me. Understood?"

"Sir," answered the soldiers, Skywarp just muttering under his breath and looking daggers at his trine leader.

"Now, that this is settled, Ravage bring me Frenzy. We've got work to do." The jaguar mech stepped forward, carrying his brother's head in his jaws, who for once was unnaturally quiet. "Until the Constructicons arrive you are all dismissed, so stay out of sight." The cons, aside from Soundwave's creations and the resting Starscream, left the canyon in silence, not eager to anger their leader, who seemed actually pleased for once, which they all knew, had to do with the prodigal son's return. They all thought it was unfair, pit! Even Megatron knew that if it wasn't for the eons of iron fisted dictatorship he would surely be confronted about this behavior, even maybe rebelled against. But as none of his soldiers were foolish enough to brave this matter, he let it continue. After all, he had to keep his Seeker close no matter what.

--


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination~

A/N: Ok, this is the ultimate fanservice I've ever done… for myself. Felt so bad yesterday but "All Hail Megatron" saved me from impending doom of super moody day off. Prolly why u may see some influence here ^^; But I don't care cuz at the moment I just wanna do what Screamer does at the end and dam I am! So~ Yay, I enjoyed, you guys may enjoy it too ;p

--

**Chapter IX**

"You're such an idiot, 'Warp!" Thundercracker scolded his mate when they landed on the canyons edge, casting long shadows on the auburn rocks, their engines blowing dirt and shrubs away. The huge mechs dropped to the ground, TC insisting the black jet shouldn't strain himself. Starscream may have been dying when they brought him back but that didn't stop the Allspark from giving him enough strength to kick 'Warp's aft. "Why can't you just stay out of it? You know it's no use with those two."

"I know, but it just gets to me, you know?" the injured con sighed, allowing his friend to inspect his wounds. "I'm tired of being dragged into their games. I wish Megatron would either kill him already or just tell him he doesn't really hate him. It's obvious to anyone who's close to those two."

"Yes, because nothing says 'I like you' like ripping your wings out," TC countered dryly, shivering at the thought of being mutilated like that. His fear of Megatron was never this strong.

"It's nothing Hook can't fix. We've seen him in worse shape than this and that was without the Allspark."

"Fixing doesn't solve the problem, though and Megatron will never apologize," reminded the navy Seeker forlornly. "For him it's like admitting he's no longer fit to be the leader."

"Like anyone would ever want to take his place… maybe apart from Screamer. It's nothing but trouble."

"Yeah, if one has subordinates like you, for example." Thundercracker laughed, dodging a playful punch his mate threw at him, missing by arm's length.

"I'm as lovable as a newly created mech, and you know it. Anyway, I'm not asking them to kiss and make up, just get the sticks out of their afts and finally talk. Like we do!"

"Yes, and my life has become so much better thanks to your foul mouth and your broken sense of humor."

"You like it!"

"Yes, whatever you say," Thundercracker shook his head, yet his eyes were sparkling happily. This _felt_ like they were back on Cybertron. "I can just imagine our two great leaders having a spark-to-spark, talking about old times and flying wing by wing into the sunset."

"You're a true romantic, aren't you TC?"

"Funny. All I'm saying that if I were you, I'd just leave them alone. They've been at it for centuries, so you can't just expect they'll start getting along just like that. There's too much energon spilled between them and Screamer's carrying wounds that go deeper than armor."

"First of all, you can never be sure about anything with them. They both change their minds whenever they find it fit, just look at this situation! One moment it's "shoot Starscream, the traitor", the other it's "don't hurt him or I'll waste your afts"! And secondly, for all we know, Screamer might enjoy getting beaten. Primus knows he's asking for it almost every time he speaks."

"I really don't want to think about it, 'Warp," Thundercracker sighed, remembering his leader broken and in pain each time he visited him in repair bay. He had cursed his spark for aching whenever he Starscream's hurt pride and the pain and anger he drowned himself in, unable to forgive Megatron's indifference. Thundercracker never shared his observations with anyone, not even Skywarp; he himself felt like he was seeing something no one was supposed to witness, some raw part of his trine leader that was meant to be hidden forever. He used to really feel for Starscream and wanted to be there for him, but the impregnable shield the second in command had put up around himself, after Megatron had left, chased everyone away, even the mechs who meant him no harm, like Thundercracker. "It's way more complicated."

"For me it's simple. They need to get over it!"

Thundercracker shook his head and stood up; there was little he could do about his mate's wounds at this point but at least he stopped the energon from leaking. "That's what's difficult. They're both stubborn and won't quit butting heads till the day they offline. Or one of them miraculously gives in but I wouldn't count on that."

"Well whatever they do, I don't wanna be dragged into it. Just give me an Autobot to waste and I'll be content, but this has to stop."

"What has to stop is your yappin'!" shouted Barricade, who was parked in the bushes some distance away from the pair of fliers. "Some of us want to actually rest and be ready for smashing the enemy instead of just prattling about it."

"Don't make me go there and smash your front lights, snitch!" barked Skywarp, agitated and quite ready for a fight; he had let Starscream off easy only because Megatron interfered, but his circuits itched for some action. "You got anything more you wanna say to me?!"

Thundercracker, the usual peace keeper of the trine, smacked his partner's helmet disapprovingly and pulled him away from the short-fused mustang. He was fed up with the bickering among his leaders _and_ his peers, and right now all he wanted was some peace. They were up for a battle with the Autobots soon and he did not want to have his back covered by a dented and tired mate. Not listening to Skywarp whine, he settled them both far away from the camp. The navy jet shut down for a nice respite and if the cons decided they did want to hurt each other then he was sure Megatron or Starscream wouldn't mind putting them in their place.

While the situation involving his leaders was far from resolved, it was quite encouraging that they _were_ back on speaking terms and not trying to blow each other to smithereens. Maybe the chemistry between them wasn't healthy and it would take a long time for them to establish some sort of a nonviolent relationship, but Thundercracker had always believed in small steps and knew, or more like felt, that there was more to their conflict that they let others on. By no means did he want to pry, but he knew that they would find a way. He just hoped he would still be online to see it.

--

Thankfully neither Skywarp nor Barricade felt like continuing their dispute; both were in a questionable shape and the prospect of having Megatron on their afts in case they got damaged any further and delayed his plan, was enough to cool their heads off.

As for their leader's plan, he needed to modify it because even with the information from Frenzy and Soundwave's database, he wasn't able to decipher the meaning of the symbols throughout he entire night. He did figure out it was the language of the primes but the only one that actually knew it was the Fallen. Megatron did not want the ancient involved; the plot to overthrow him could become exposed and he could not have that. There was too much at stake.

Besides he did not want to reveal that he had given Starscream refuge and was actually planning to use his strength to fight the old tyrant. That was another needles risk he preferred not to take as they all were lucky enough the Fallen hadn't demanded any details concerning the mission so far, probably assuming Megatron and his cons would never dream of betraying him.

The Fallen's pride was the trait the silver triple-changer wanted to use against him, knowing from experience with Starscream, how effective it could be if the one betraying was ruthless and confident enough, which was actually unlike his personal traitor. Megatron had always attributed his second in command's failed rebellions to his wavering resolve and the lack of support from the other Decepticons, but perhaps the Seeker's plan was never to overthrow him in the first place. While admitting he might have horribly misjudged Starscream was quite a blow to his ego, the logic in this was becoming more and more clear. Megatron was not invincible, he knew as well as any other mech, so if his best Seeker really wanted to kill him, then he would have found a way.

_I'm beginning to doubt my judgment_, he thought to himself jadedly as he watched the sky for the Constructicons' approach. _His confession must have gotten to me; this would never had happened before._ But in his spark, he was sincerely starting to think it was actually a sign of progress. After all, even after thousands of years of his absence his Decepticons still stood by him, united, if only just, by his second, so he would do all in his might to use Starscream's accomplishment further to keep them from fighting each other and focus their might against the real enemy.

The Autobots' turn would come in time.

--

As first rays of light hit the red rocks of the Grand Canyon, a cluster of meteorites burst through the clouds, zooming across the sky. Having been given the coordinates and the data of human made machines that would fit them as disguises, the Constructicons quickly arrived at the chasm base imitating human construction vehicles.

The Decepticons all gathered around the newly arrived, hoping that finally Megatron would bring his plan to light.

"Megatron," exclaimed Scrapper, once he transformed to his bipedal mode, his team following swiftly. "The Constructicons, ever faithful to you, are ready to do your bidding, my lord."

Megatron growled approvingly, always loving the declarations of allegiance. "Excellent, Scrapper. You, Hook and Mixmaster will attend to our wounded comrades, but I have a different task for the other three."

"Anything you command, Megatron."

"Are you going to tell us your plan now, Megatron?" Skywarp ventured impatiently, earning an angry glare from his leader. The black jet shrunk back a little, chiding himself before Thundercracker had the chance.

"Out of the line, as usual, Skywarp, but right now I have more important matters to attend to, than your big mouth," Megatron droned. Thundercracker sighed with relief, and just glared at his willful mate then turned back to his leader as he began explaining his plan.

--

When each Decepticon knew what he was meant to do, and three of the Constructicons were teleported by Skywarp to begin their task, Rumble had found his brothers and, unable to stop sniggering, snatched Frenzy's head from Ravage's protective hold and held him up, his insect-like components glistening in the sun.

"Ah, poor Frenzy!" He exclaimed excitedly, to both his brothers' distaste. "He was whole once, Ravage: a fellow of infinite zest, of most intense love of destruction. He had me dragged along into his violent flurry a thousand times; and now, how tragic his state of demise is to me! Where is your power now? Your might, your vicious charm? You've fallen quite low, right my brother?"

Ravage bared his fangs with an annoyed growl and Frenzy flickered his eyes dangerously. "Rumble," he seethed at his more sturdy twin, when he was brought closer to face the jokester con. "Dare mock me again, you glitch and I swear there won't be even a face plate left from you!"

Rumble laughed at his brother's threat and, flipping him once, put him back into Ravage's awaiting claws and patted him on the optic. "Come an' get me, lil' bro," he hummed happily and retreated, sniggering, to join the Constructicons.

--

"The structure of these rock formations is highly unsatisfactory," moaned Hook, examining a boulder closely to see if it would fit his needs. "The thought of having to work with these kind of materials sends sparks down my circuits. I hope Megatron won't blame us if something wrong happens and-"

"You're forgetting I am the ultimate chemist, Hook!" Mixmaster interrupted, his optics flashing elatedly. He finally had some 'new toys' to play with and didn't want Hook's incessant complaints spoiling his fun. "Let _me_ handle the materials and you just make sure it's used properly, ok?"

"Fine, but I am not taking the responsibility if someone loses a wing because the materials were faulty. I cannot create masterpieces from scrap metal!"

"You just need to fix my soldiers, Hook," Megatron came from behind, tailing him were Starscream, Thundercracker, who was dragging Skywarp along, and a barely online Blackout. The crane Decepticon eyed the wounded and his inner artist cried at their shape, especially at the second in command's exotic yet battered visage. Megatron caught the glance and growled; Hook could be too easily distracted at times and the silver leader did not like the Constructicon's predilection for enhancing Starscream's looks. Especially now when he was carrying the Allspark within him, he did not want his Seeker to be tampered with. "This is not the time for your extravagance. I want them repaired and prepared for battle and I will not hear any of your excuses if there's even a slight malfunction, understood?"

"Of course, Megatron," he agreed, masking a sigh with the sound of the boulder crunching in his fist. Scrapper, who observed the whole exchange from the back row, not wanting to interrupt Megatron, now stepped in to take charge.

"Rumble," the loader con called the little, yet powerful soldier to his side. "You and Mixmaster will gather the materials from further down the canyon. The structure of these walls may be different from what we used to work with back home, but it seems nothing Mixmaster's abilities would not overcome." The chemist grinned smugly at his dubious teammate, transformed and sped off down the dusty path, Rumble perched on his cab.

"But won't the noise and the tremors draw human attention?" Thundercracker pointed out helpfully; he didn't want things to go wrong in any way.

"If they do I'm sure you will have no trouble patrolling the area and silencing any unwelcome visitors with Barricade and Skywarp, once he's fixed. I heard those two are quite restless."

Skywarp growled inwardly; he was sure Ravage spied and told on them. _I really hate those sneaky brats!_

"Hook, let's get to work." Scrapper called, turning to Skywarp's wounds first. His injuries were just minor dents and scratches, all which the Constructicon leader recognized as Starscream's handiwork. It was not the first time he had to fix someone after the Seeker's leader blew a fuse and probably not the last.

The violent flier, everyone was surprised to notice, was acting quite subdued and allowed Hook to look him over without protest. The crane Constructicon had to stifle a cry when he saw what had happened to his spark chamber and try hard not to go on a rant about his ruined wings. Nobody told him how the Seeker got so badly wounded but as the expert he was, especially in fixing Starscream, Hook didn't need to be told.

"Megatron," he sighed, exasperated, forgetting for a moment that he was a soldier, and not just a builder fretting over his work. "You truly have no appreciation for art! I can't believe you were able to do this!" he inspected the newly created stubs, making Starscream hiss in pain, his desire to silence the annoying Constructicon growing.

"I'm fine," seethed the Seeker, feeling humiliated by Hook's fretful comments. Everyone around knew it was Megatron's way of punishing him for disobedience and Starscream came to terms with it; he was actually fine with paying such a price for Megatron's attention, so having Hook fuss over it like this was quite demeaning. "Just put my wings back together and don't mention this again or I'll make you regret it."

"Why, Starscream," Hook sounded hurt. "You should be aware I have no intention of allowing botched mechanisms to leave my table. I've not spent hundreds of hours of tinkering with you cons to mess it up now, just because Megatron or anyone else is in a hurry. Especially not you. And not this exquisite new frame."

Words failed the gathered Decepticons, Thundercracker shifting his gaze away from Skywarp, who almost burst into laughter. Scrapper continued as if Hook wasn't even there. Starscream wanted to disappear off the face of earth and Megatron just simply stood there, observing. Hook didn't seem to notice this consternation and continued unperturbed.

"This _is_ such an interesting design, don't you agree, Scrapper?" he asked his teammate but didn't wait for an answer, which the leader of the Constructicons wouldn't have given anyway. Hook turned to the other Seekers, as if comparing their frames to Starscream's. "This look really suits your kind. I don't know why you haven't disguised yourself yet, it's useful and quite fetching."

"Oh please," grunted Skywarp, pulling back to stand by his mate as Scrapper had moved on to assess Blackouts injuries. "First, it's not really necessary to hide now, we're done sneaking around. And second, for once I don't feel like parroting our _leader_," he spat but once Starscream's angry optics met his own he put his arms in a defensive manner. "You may lead me in the sky, _Lord_ Screamer, but I will not become a fashion victim. I like my frame the way it is, thank you," he'd have finished almost neutrally if it wasn't for the scornful undertone Megatron did not fail to notice.

"I'd rather not change my look if I don't need to," offered Thundercracker, a bit to support Skywarp and to draw attention from his taunts, yet again. "This visage makes me remember the times on Cybertron, back when the war hadn't been tainted by the Fallen…"

Thundercracker didn't mean to bring this up but the silent accusation towards Megatron's past decisions hung heavily in the air. Starscream, who was still being prodded and poked by Hook, only stared at his leader, a sort of a bitter and harsh look, yet strangely devoid of mockery. The silent message bothered Megatron, especially due to the fact that Starscream knew of his secret now and there was a risk of him spreading the news. His reasoning program was too corrupted by paranoia to realize that finally his second did not need to undermine his authority. But even after the Seeker assured Megatron he wanted to help and not overthrow him, the silver mech had a very hard time accepting this and suppressing his instinctive distrust. He himself may have offered this truce and cooperation but as always, trusting Starscream so soon after one of his coups was not easy.

He felt on edge, even more so than usual; his senses were keen and his processor analyzing every detail of his soldiers' speech or action. He knew it was helpful and did know his second deserved some sort of recognition for inspiring his focus, but he didn't know how to go about it. Also, Megatron rewarding Starscream for going against him would have been illogical and quite confusing or suspicious for the other Decepticons so the silver mech decided to leave it for now; perhaps, and this unnerved him slightly, he'd mention it to his Seeker after the battle.

Perhaps then he'd feel confident enough to change and trust him more.

--

Thundercracker's patrol turned out to be useful as not only tourists started gathering on one side of the canyon, but a team of scientists appeared, intrigued by the sudden tremors and strange sounds coming from their base. It gave him little satisfaction leading Skywarp and Barricade to slaughter the potential threat but the priority of keeping his group safe far exceeded his distaste for mindless killing.

There was also the fact that the sound of rocks falling and the humans' vehicles being blown up drowned Starscream's shrill voice, which continued to reverberate among the walls of the gorge ever since Hook and Scrapper began working on his wings. It sounded so horrifying even Skywarp quit his nasty name calling after a while; he may have said it wasn't the worst state he'd seen his leader in but it was the first time his wings were the most damaged parts. He didn't feel sorry for him, didn't _want_ to feel sorry for the mech who loved to humiliate him so much, but still, he never had wished this kind of torture for him.

Back in the base all three Constructicons were trying to keep Starscream still and reattach his wings but the stubs created by the Allspark turned out to be more sensitive than they had expected. Starscream stubbornly refused to go into stasis, claiming he needed to feel it and wanted to see Megatron watch him so the process of removing those appendages was going very slowly and was the most painful experience in his life.

"This is no use, we can't do it like this or your circuits may fry from the strain. You have to let us-"

"No!! I can handle it. Just do it already!" Starscream moaned, not shifting his optics from Megatron who watched his second with growing irritation and confusion. He could not understand why he was trying so hard, although a cruel voice in his processor kept whispering it was just a show to demonstrate how tough and powerful he was with the Allspark as his core. To make sure Megatron wouldn't underestimate him. It made sense, it was what a wounded Decepticon was supposed to act like, to show he can take the pain proudly and turn it into strength. It was what he always expected of his soldiers. But now the silver triple-changer was sick of it.

"Enough of this foolishness, Starscream," he snapped finally, his audio receptors down to the lowest level but still straining not to overload. "If you're doing this just to prove something to me, stop it. I will not allow such behavior to-"

"It's not-AUGHH-..for you! It's for me. I'm-guuuah-doing it for myself, Megatron," the Seeker replied, his claws gripping the makeshift rock table so hard that it began to crumble as the Constructicons began sawing the stubs off. Scrapper threw Megatron a worried glance, but did not speak; they both knew they'd either have to force him into stasis or continue to bear the earsplitting noise.

"Megatron," Starscream gasped, his optics drilling into his leader urgently. "The Allspark… it's a test… I can do this. I can feel it pulsating in me. It's not… fighting me!" The phenomenon being pointed out, Megatron looked at his spark chamber which was indeed glowing.

"I've never seen anything like it before, Megatron," said Mixmaster, holding out his arm to examine it. Before he could touch Starscream's chest though, Megatron caught his wrist and pushed it away.

"Do not make contact with it, I still don't know what it can do to us. Just focus on his wings." Mixmaster complied with a nod and the silver mech continued to watch the shifting light, mesmerized. He thought he was seeing the old symbols calling him and he had the urge to reach out to them, to answer the Allspark's call. He held his claws out, feeling them tingling as he almost stroked Starscream's chest plates. It was hot but not like the first time when he touched the raging spark. It felt as if the warm current was entwining his claws, drawing him.

"Megatron, I…" Starscream began but suddenly the spark imploded, throwing the Constructicons and Megatron back into the stone walls. The battered wings stared changing on their own, reattaching themselves to where the undeveloped ones were before and the metal materials Mixmaster had prepared flew, magnetized, to enforce the joints and enhance his other parts. It all happened extremely fast and painless for Starscream, that Megatron had to wonder why he was in such horrible pain just moments before. It couldn't really have been a test, could it? And did something change when he approached the Allspark?

Picking themselves up, the Decepticons approached Starscream warily but it seemed the sudden awakening of the Allspark ended, leaving the Seeker rebuilt and…

"Invincible!" the flier exclaimed and with a burst of flames, he shot upward, faster than he ever thought possible. Momentarily he disappeared from Megatron's sight and the ever present fear told the silver mech to prepare for a swift aerial attack.

"Stay prepared," he told the Constructicons, who were quite shocked already. Hook stared at Megatron perplexed; was he suspecting Starscream of betraying him already?

"Megatron, we saw a flash, what happened?!" The Seekers and Barricade arrived, Soundwave's creations joining them shortly after. "What happened to Screamer?"

"It's Air Commander Starscream for you," the sleek jet descended like a hawk on its prey, landing gracefully in the middle of the gathering, right in front of Megatron's extended cannon, smiling gleefully. The silver mech knew this smile too well, had seen it glowing cockily on Starscream's facial plates whenever the Seeker thought he had an upper hand, and that never ended peacefully. "I have been reborn, Megatron! The Allspark has made me a truly perfect soldier, a perfect Seeker."

"Has it now, Starscream?" he asked cautiously, not wanting to give the Seeker a moment of distraction for him to strike. The flier's arrogance was back which Megatron regarded as an overall good sign, but it also meant he had to stay on his guard, either to repel a smart-mouthed remark or an attack.

"Indeed," Starscream took a step closer, his chest pushing against the barrel of Megatron's weapon. The silver mech had to wonder: Was it confidence… or trust that made him approach so boldly? He knew he'd find out very, very soon. The Seeker saw the distrust and questions flashing in his optics; Megatron was rarely indecisive when it came to judging his soldiers; it made Starscream proud to be the cause of his leader's alarm; for him it was like a compliment. He finally felt… satisfied.

But there was something more he had to do, something that had been tearing at his core for the last couple thousands of years, making his existence miserable and poisoning his thoughts.

With a swift shift of wing components, he dropped down to one knee and leaned on an extended arm, bowing before Megatron. His optics however never shifted to look at his feet tracks. No, he regarded his leader with unwavering confidence and a strange feeling of elation and fulfillment, which was almost scary.

Megatron, surprised just as the other gathered Decepticons, or even more, lowered his cannon; kneeling made him easier to repel, if Starscream did plan to trick him. He awaited the attack, the almost invisible change in his pose that would indicate treachery but it never came.

Instead, and he thought he had heard wrong, there was Starscream, whom not long ago he had hurt more than ever before, humiliated and manipulated, kneeling at his feet. Swearing his undying allegiance like the day they'd met, when Starscream was a bright-eyed, naïve youth, whose dream of standing at his hero's side was only beginning.

A realization hit Megatron; here, after eons of fighting each other, humiliating one another, years of jaded, frustrating and hateful bickering, a ray of hope had finally appeared.

The silver mech, speechless but increasingly thrilled, nodded his approval to his Seeker, who rose to his side, proud, deadly and with a new purpose. He regarded the Decepticons under his, their command, some watching the display with disdain, some with bewilderment or approval, but all equally faithful to their cause.

He threw a clawed hand into the air and with a triumphant, confident voice he cried:

"All Hail Megatron!"

--

A/N: AHM ftw! It's so amazing and perfect *__* And also, I wonder if anyone notices the presence of a well known scene and slightly modified monologue from that scene ;d Stay tuned~


	11. Chapter 10

AN: Whew, its been a long while, but finally TF mood is back, and i can continue with this story. Hope you guys still want to read it. Please do enjoy~

* * *

**Chapter X**

**

* * *

**

Since the moment he realized he was involved in the Autobot-Decepticon war, Sam knew his life was going to change. Sure, he may have gotten awesome alien robot friends, who changed into hot cars, and could blow up anything they wanted to, but in general the changes would be for worse.

Like having to pick up the phone at 4 a.m. worse.

"Huh-hello?" he asked groggily, his head falling back onto the welcoming pillow, the cocoon made of the bed covers sucking him into the warmth. It was dark and cold outside; waking him up at this hour was inhumane.

"Kid, it's me," Simmons sounded very excited; even more so than usually at least, as if he had guzzled three mugs of coffee already. Sam wondered if he had even gone to sleep at all. "Get up and get your yellow pet-car up and running, because we've got work to do!"

"Uh, did you even sleep?"

"Sleep is for the weak! Do you think I had time to sleep? I had to deal with all the police and fire squad that came to my house, after those creeps stole their buddy. If I had my badge I'd have just told them to bugger off, but since you got me kicked-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm sorry already. You had a rough night, but why take it out on me, you know?" Sam yawned but pulled himself up, trying to stay focused on the conversation, rather than his desire to fall asleep again.

"Oh, I'd have many reasons to do that, but this is a matter of national security. Like it or not, kid, but you're involved now, so get up! We need to meet and form a plan."

"Uh, but it's only 4 in the morning…"

"The enemy will not wait for you to wake up, sleeping beauty!" Simmons shouted into his cell phone, his voice resonating in the room hotel Sam was staying in. "Now on your feet soldier!"

"Sam? What's that noise?" Judy woke up in the next room. "It's the middle of the night, kiddo."

"Ok, listen," Sam whispered, not wanting to alert his mom to any suspicious activities concerning the "crazy alien robots". "I'll be on my way in a few minutes, call me later to tell me where we're meeting."

With that Sam ended the call and began searching for some hastily discarded clothes. He decided telling his parents about this would be a good idea, if he wanted to be a good son, but also freak them out further, and get grounded for simply coming up with such an idea. So he decided to leave them a note. _I'm already in so much trouble,_ he thought miserably as he got inside Bumblebee,_ I guess a road trip to meet a secret agent won't change things for worse._

_

* * *

_

If there was something the Decepticons found more disturbing than a scheming and frustrated Megatron, it had to be a scheming and _pleased_ Megatron.

Having the reputation of a ruthless killer of all who opposed him, the silver triple-changer's vicious disposition was considered as the norm, and all of his soldiers had gotten used to it during the eons of fighting under his command. Most of them hated it, naturally; Megatron was exceptionally hard to deal with, which is why his followers tended not to stay around him more than they had to. Right now the small group of the Decepticons stationed on Earth was forced to do just that, but Megatron's sudden mood swing was making them wish Starscream never got fixed and restored as his second. Still they preferred to safely go along with Megatron's version about simply getting closer to overthrow the Fallen, which would've been the natural reason for their leader's enthusiasm. However, it was obvious that it was the willful flier's return that got the silver mech elated, but naturally nobody was foolish enough to bring this fact up.

In front of their leaders, that is.

"Don't you find this seriously creepy, TC?" Skywarp sent a message through their private comm. link. "Have you _ever_ seen Megs so, I don't know, bouncy?"

The navy jet turned his scanners from observing the horizon for any trespassers to regard their leader, who was quite animatedly _talking_ to Starscream about their next move. And as much as he had always wished for this moment to come, he could not shake the feeling it was all just some sort of trick. He could not understand why Megatron would be taking part in it willingly though, so there was a sliver of hope that it was in fact real. Real in a very bizarre sort of way. "I'd say he just…can't wait to bring the Fallen down, and is motivated since Screamer finally decided quit slowing him down with his usual treachery?"

"Yeah, bouncy."

Thundercracker grunted disapprovingly at his mate's choice of words; there were spies among them after all, but he honestly couldn't disagree with Skywarp. As unnatural it was to see their leader not mocking Starscream and actually _listening_ to what he was saying, it was even more strange to watch their body language. Megatron was not looming over their mate like he always used to do, was not invading his personal space, and kept his deadly claws from reaching his neck to silence the annoyingly cocky tone of his.

"And you know what?"

Thundercracker held a sigh; he knew nothing good ever came out from Skywarp's processor after that phrase. "…What?"

"It's annoying, but I think I _could_ get used to it," he said matter-of-factly, closing a bonnet on his chassis. He had been tinkering with his warping processor for the last hour; Scrapper had fixed him well, but he always liked to know in what shape his unique system was. Perhaps his reputation created an impression of him being a total engineering illiterate, which he usually was, but he knew his own organism and its functions, and if he wasn't busy fighting, taunting, joking, or whining, he would be busy enhancing his little secret weapon. "What? At least he's not taking his frustrations out on us," he added when Thundercracker was just gawking at him.

"That's because he's _not_ frustrated. He's… he _looks_ happy, I guess. Or as close as he can, not really sure what it looks like on Megatron's face plates, though. And I hope I'm just over thinking, but I just wonder how long it will last, till another falling-out between them."

Skywarp stretched his wings and walked over to his mate, who was resting in his tetra jet mode, letting the early day's sun warm up his body. "TC, the eternal pessimist," he nudged his wing, wanting him to transform, which the navy Seeker did. Skywarp hung an arm around his friend and pulled him to look at their leaders. "Maybe it is weird to see them like this, but c'mon! Maybe, just maybe, this annoying something between them broke, and now they can actually function together. I'm willing to forget all about the nasty stuff Screamer ever did to me if this is what it's going to be from now on."

"And I thought I was the more faithful one."

Skywarp snorted. "Oh, baby, I'll let Megs do my wings like he did Screamer's the day that you quit worrying about even one, little thing!" Thundercracker whirred his engines irritably, never liking this particular trait of his being pointed out and mocked. "I'm supposed to be the one with crazy ideas around here, and even if I said what I said to Mr. Ego, I always believed in a happily ever after! I mean, if the princess wants to be dragged off into the sunset by her sadistic prince, be my guest."

"Where on Primus, did u pick up a phrase like that?"

"The human database network. Yeah, I know it's trash, but I find it fitting for Screamer, don't you agree?" Thundercracker threw him a slightly exasperated look. "Ah, c'mon! You know I'm joking, right?"

"As if I'd ever have believed you were serious about your quarrel to begin with," the blue jet regarded his partner sternly. Skywarp laughed, shaking his head.

"He needed to get down to earth from whatever godly cloud he thought he was on. He can fly better than us, fine, and be the Ultra Superior Air Commander and whatnot, but a trine is a trine. And him being aware of that, although I still hate the sucker, and want to break his legs, is fine enough for me, as long as things are back to normal."

At that moment Starscream turned his attention from Megatron, and noticed his trine watching them, Skywarp grinning like the big goofball he was. He wanted to give him an irritated look; he was still annoyed at his earlier antics, but seeing him cheering, and Thundercracker nodding with approval surprised him. Suddenly, for the first time in years, he felt at ease. He did no longer have to play the double role of tyrant and protector, where to prevail in his duty meant distancing himself from even his closest allies. He dropped the angry façade and gave his long time teammates his best self-assured smirk. Perhaps they weren't on the same page as him when it came to his plans and Megatron, but it was good to see they were, in spite of everything, somewhere behind him.

Thundercracker, who still wasn't sure if this turn of events would leave Starscream hurt, or victorious, walked away from the canyon's edge. Skywarp heard the silent sigh he made, but couldn't feign annoyance; his mood was good, and he wanted to infect his mate with it. Primus knew, he had listened to Thundercracker's worries and fears so many times, he could recognize each of them by the look of his optics, or they way his wings tensed up. He knew the navy jet understood their trine leader better than anyone else, but the knowledge only made him more depressed and moody. Skywarp's self-appointed duty was to lift his spirits.

Crouching down next to his mate, Skywarp grinned his best grin, and playfully punched TC on the chest. "Save your worries for when there _is_ something to worry about, ok? I told you all they needed was to just suck it up, and talk like grown ups. They did! And look, they're not trying to kill each other!"

"I know they're not. But they will. They always do in the end, no matter how much I wish they stopped." Skywarp groaned at his friend's gloomy mood. "But fine. I'll shut up about it. Just remember," he put his claw squarely over Skywarp's spark chamber; something any con would find threatening. For them, however, the gesture was more of a proof of trust. "I really don't want to see him suffer more than he already has, and I just know this cannot end without someone's energon spilled. So when the time's up, I'm counting on you to make the damage the least possible, understood?"

Thundercracker's severe tone silenced any attempt of a funny remark on Skywarp's part and, as rarely as it happened, the black jet took his mate's words in without any comments, or complaints. He knew that something his worrywart friend was so serious about was not meant to be taken lightly.

* * *

Sam and Bumblebee picked up Simmons from his ruined apartment, and since the humans were quite hungry, they drove to the ex-agent's mother's deli. Simmons broke through the early morning crowd that showed up every day to buy their goods, and snatched two big sandwiches that had been prepared for the customers. His mother tried to complain, but he was out of the store and back in the yellow camaro faster than she could pronounce his full name, and start scolding him.

"Mmph," Sam tried talking with him mouth full of tasty bread and ham, then swallowed, and tried again. "This is real good."

"Of course it is. It's my own secret recipe, the people are crazy about it. I call it the U-bot Special."

"U-bot, huh? Military fanboy much?"

"Till the day I die," Simmons said solemnly, and with another bite finished his sub, and wiped his hands on his pants. He pulled out his laptop from the duffel bag he brought along, and turned it on. After a few clicks he had a program running, something that looked like a sonar. Sam gulped down the remains of his breakfast, and leaned towards Simmons to have a better look. "Those overgrown tin cans think they can just bust in, and take government property out of my house, but they don't know what they're in for!" He laughed in his own special way that made Sam wonder yet again, if the agent was really entirely sane.

"So what's this? Like a radar or something?"

"A tracking device, junior. I thought something like this might happen, so I put a microchip inside that freak's head. Now," he punched a few keys, and a map of the United States came up, "Let's see where you're hiding."

Optimus Prime, Ironhide, and Ratchet arrived to the NEST base at dawn, and not a long while later, major Lennox marched into their hangar; back from his leave two days earlier, not too thrilled about it, but ready for duty.

"I thought I might find you big guys around here," he said with a dose of affection, like one would do to a reliable old pal. They haven't fought alongside since the Mission City, but Lennox's Ranger instincts told him the alien fighters were trustworthy battle companions. Not to mention awfully powerful too.

Like the human, Optimus Prime also acknowledged the other's values as an ally, and was quite relieved to have come across this particular man, as he and his team were creatures of his own group's kin. They were soldiers who knew what their duty was, not squabbling, money-focused politicians, who lacked the courage to make the right decisions, even if they were risky. The truck transformer believed that major Lennox would help them communicate with the government officials better, and make them understand that they needed their help. Optimus hoped they would allow the Autobots to guard their lives further, especially now, when the Decepticon threat was upon them.

"Major Lennox, it's good to see you. I require your help."

Lennox laughed a little. "Straight to the point, huh Optimus? Well I knew it had to be something important since, they basically dragged me away from the grill."

"It is urgent. The Decepticons are mobilizing again. Their fallen comrade has risen from the sea. We need to do everything we can to stop them, but we do not wish to go against your government's will. We need your help to explain the situation."

Lennox was not impressed; he had to deal with annoyingly stubborn officials in the past, and knew why Optimus would rather ask him for help than try to reason with them; if they were obstinate in listening to other human beings, they would most certainly not give much thought to an alien robot's request. "I hear you, Optimus. Let me get the memo, and you can explain what the situation is."

* * *

When he ordered Starscream to gather his troops, Megatron knew what he needed to do in order to understand the Allspark's message, and to advance in his scheme to overthrow their nemesis. After what felt like days to the Decepticons, he finally revealed his plans.

They had a huge advantage over the unaware Autobots, who had not even realized a shard of the Allspark had been in their possession; even now they puzzled over the meaning of Ravage's attack. They were right to think it was connected to the artifact, but the truth eluded them. As well as the fact that there were already so many of Megatron's troops on Earth. Blackout was still incapable of combat, which the silver mech regarded as a small price to pay for giving his troops an example of what happened to his insubordinate followers. It had seemed not only the chopper-con's memory needed refreshing, but for once Megatron found a better target than his usual choice.

And speaking of Starscream, he absolutely glowed. Not only because of the Allspark's power radiating from his frame, which was giving him the impression of superiority, but of the flier's confident manner. The kind one could only see on the battlefield, when he was leading his soldiers into victory, and not the cocky kind that had accompanied him in the hallways of Megatron's fortress, when he unyieldingly challenged his leader for attention. And for once he finally got what he had always wanted: Megatron was hearing him out, and had placed the Seeker by his side not to have stricter control over him, but because his devotion was recognized. More than ever before, he felt himself be the second in command he had supposed to have been; a true partner to Megatron.

Not his equal, of course. That dream had been abandoned millennia ago, after an exceptionally verbal, and surprisingly personal argument they had, where Starscream had foolishly revealed his then-spark's desire, which had been harshly denied. Since then he had never allowed himself to wish for the impossible again, and forced his ambitions to drop down a notch. Second in command had then become his new, and now finally realized goal, and there was nothing, not even an old, discarded, yet never truly forgotten, hope, that would interfere. He was a soldier, a commander; he had learned to ignore his personal desires for the sake of the Decepticon cause.

The cause they would finally bring back to its original state, eliminating the virus that had infected it. Megatron's plan was risky, perhaps it would fail, but the next stage would hopefully fill the missing gaps, and answer the questions regarding the Allspark and the symbols.

"Soundwave has located one of the oldest, and highest ranking Seekers that have been left behind on this planet," said Megatron to the eager, yet confused soldiers. "The Fallen, in his confidence in my loyalty, revealed that we are not the first Cybertronians to have landed here, and that even now a group of Decepticons is stationed around the globe. They were nothing but scrap metal to him. He had left them behind broken, and with no supply of energon. I believe they would be pleased to join us in our revenge. Right now Starscream, Thundercracker, Ravage, Frenzy, and Rumble will accompany me, I wish to pay our old ally a visit." The four named cons moved to join Starscream at Megatron's side. The leader then motioned to the others. "Scrapper, I make you responsible for the other task." The Constructicon saluted. "Hook and Mixmaster, you will continue working on Blackout until he is operational. And Skywarp, you are to carry on moving the troops to the designated position, and continue assisting them there. You will be under Scrapper's command until the rendezvous." Skywarp also saluted, albeit less eagerly than his temporary leader, but kept his unhappy comments only to himself and Thundercracker on the comm. link, but the other did not seem impressed.

Then, without further ado, the two teams mobilized, Megatron's group blasting off into the sky. Thundercracker became the carrier of Soundwave's minions again, there had been no discussion about that. His two pompous leaders were too important for that, but his experience as a babysitter helped him keep his sanity. He simply muted all but Megatron and Starscream's channels. And Skywarp's naturally, but that one has never been turned off.

Flying beside Megatron felt extremely odd, unbelievably exciting, but also horribly dull for Starscream. In their battle history together, there were not many times when Megatron took to air to command, usually leaving his second in charge of the fliers, and to the Seeker it had always felt wrong somehow. Megatron was a modified flier, he did not possess the instinct a created flier had, and although he had mastered aerial combat, he never acquired the grace and agility his flying trines took pride in. Of course, it mattered to no one, as long as they won the battles, but at least to Starscream it felt as if an intruder had penetrated his domain. Among the Seekers and other aerial cons, he had been known as a very possessive being, even before the war had begun, and had not taken well to land-dwellers attempting to fly. It was his world and his life, and all the successful attempts of outsiders infiltrating the skies were like a slap to his ego. Megatron, however, was a different case, or rather had to be. Starscream had always assured him of his competence, and most of the times the silver mech had agreed, but sometimes he would invade his Seeker's territory to simply show his authority over him. The ambitious flier's nature sometimes failed to stop him from challenging Megatron about it, which had always ended in the same, painful way. Yet this was actually one of the things he did learn to tolerate, and with time, reluctantly, he accepted Megatron's presence in the air, but jealously kept the skies closed to any other ground mech.

Right now, however, he had wished Megatron was one of those cons he managed to keep grounded, because their leader was moving at a sickeningly sluggish pace, and the jet was unable to enjoy his new powers, forced to restrain his instincts. He was sure he could fly at least ten times faster than Megatron, but needed to stay in his position – at the silver mech's side. It was unnecessary to anger Megatron now, and for once, Starscream really didn't feel the urge to get on his nerves in any way. Things were finally good, he did not want to destroy that, for what he had paid so dearly to happen. No, he would fly right at his leader's side, and he would not leave that spot even if it killed him. Boredom or whatnot.

Thundercracker watched the two mechs in front of him and couldn't stop himself from sharing his thoughts with his trine mate. It was plainly amusing to witness, the blue jet guessing the nature of Starscream's predicament, and then his resolve to ignore it. He knew that there was more to it than met the eye, and was glad it was going smoothly, especially in this situation, where Starscream's restraint was being tested. Things would've seemed perfect, if it wasn't the fact that he had two hyperactive cons on his head, poking and prodding each other even at this speed, and on such an important mission. Thundercracker doubted taking both of them was a good idea, the mayhem they could create seemed a double edged sword to him, but apparently Megatron wanted to employ it. TC just wished that moment finally came.

* * *

"I'm agent Simmons of Sector Seven and I demand to speak with your superior! This is a matter of national security!" fumed the ex-agent when a Pentagon guard failed to open the gate. Sam, who had heard the same phrase for the hundredth time today, rubbed his face furiously.

"Bee," he murmured, "we've got to do something about this, or I'll go nuts right now!" The transformer flashed his lights approvingly. Sam stepped out and moved away.

"Listen there, buddy," sighed the guard, his patience wearing thin. "As far as I'm concerned Sector Seven is some boloney story you tourists are trying to feed us. So I'm saying this for the last time, clear the premises or I will have to use forc-" Bewilderment appeared on his face, as the yellow camaro changed into a huge robot in front of his eyes. He pointed his gun at it but stepped a few paces back. "What the!"

Simmons glanced back calmly, and then, trying to act polite and patient, pointed at Bumblebee. "You know what this is, soldier? Or do you even have access to the classified info about the N.B.E.s? Because you see, sonny, him and his buddies need to talk to your boss, and not just about weather. Nope. About the alien invasion, part two, that is happening right _now_! So you either let us through, or I'll report you to whomever necessary, and have you responsible for endangering he national security, as well as millions of innocent American citizens!" He finished, poking the soldier squarely in the chest, his nose way too close to the soldier's. "Is that.. clear?"

Sam and Bee sniggered, as they watched the guard frantically call his superior to relay the news, and then immediately opening the gate. Back in his camaro disguise, with the boy and the ex-agent aboard, they parked next to the entrance where some suits and soldiers were already waiting for them.

"Ok, kid, until I'm done with them, stay in the car and keep your mouth shut."

"Hey, it's Bee who got us in," argued Sam, Bumblebee whirring his engine to back him up. "I want to know what's going on too! You can't do this to us, man!" The camaro's engine roared again, and Simmons felt like he did not want to fight against the duo. Last time he opposed them, Lennox put a barrel of his gun way too close to his face. He'd rather avoid something humiliating like that from ever happening again.

"Fine, whatever! Just let me handle it. I know how to talk to these people." And with that he got out, and shaking the suit's hand, followed him in. Sam followed suit, grabbing his backpack and the remote satellite sonar Simmons had lent him, which was connected to the agent's laptop's system. In his rush Sam almost missed, what his companion did. The small blinking dot was moving, and fast.

"Oh, crap. Simmons!"

* * *

The meeting went well, or as well as it was possible. John Keller, the Secretary of Defense held a conference for both Simmons and Lennox; the latter had earlier called to relay Optimus' request. He agreed to cooperate with the transformers, and left Lennox in charge of his NEST troops, who were to assist Optimus and his team. They were to mobilize immediately and head to the direction of Simmons' radar was pointing. The ex-agent was to stay behind as Keller's aide, and Sam sent home.

"No way! I'm not going anywhere!" he argued even as guards came to escort him. "It was my home they raided, and it's my friends who are out there, fighting! I can't just do nothing!"

"You have done more than enough, son," said Keller, his voice fatherly, yet strict. "You have shown great responsibility and initiative, but it's our job from now on. You should go back to your family. As far as I know they have not been notified of your absence. They must be worried." Sam shot Simmons a death look; the sneaky agent wanted to get rid of him, and must have told Keller about his note. "This is my final word. Please, escort him out." And with that he turned to his men. Sam tried to resist but it was futile. Resigned, he joined Bee, who tried to cheer him up somehow, but the boy's mood was foul.

"It's not fair, Bee! I want to help! Those Decepticons think they can just mess up everyone's lives! Well I won't let that happen!"

"I unders—nd," buzzed the camaro bot. He really did. His energon was boiling at the thought of Megatron's despicable lackeys causing more mayhem among humans. He remembered how it was back home, panic and fear among civilians, their homes and lives in ruins. Bumblebee wanted to protect Sam and his family from such nightmares. He wanted to fight, but more than that he wanted to shield the boy from harm, which was exactly opposite to what the hasty teenager was hoping to do.

"But Opt—us ordered me t- keep u safe. I cannot endan—r you." This was right, the boy would hate him, but he would survive.

"Bee! C'mon, man! You know I can help! I've saved Prime once, you know I can be useful! Just give me a chance!"

"Sorry Sam," and with that Bumblebee blocked the doors, and sped off, carrying a shouting and upset, yet very precious cargo.


End file.
